


Help Me, Help You

by LoudenSwainfangirl



Category: Supernatural
Genre: AKA Magic island, Anal Sex, Descriptions of a past car accident, Explicit Sexual Content, Flirting, I know nothing about boating, M/M, Mild Angst, Rimming, Sabriel - Freeform, Squint and you may see a little Dom Gabe Sub Sam, Tags wil change, Unrealistic 69...lets face it height difference, Unrealistic geography, just go with it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-09
Updated: 2018-05-02
Packaged: 2019-03-28 12:24:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 67,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13903977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoudenSwainfangirl/pseuds/LoudenSwainfangirl
Summary: Sam Winchester is spending some time on the family boat, taking a breather after the death of his parents. His evening takes an unexpected turn when he discovers Gabriel.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was spurred on by a prompt given to me several weeks ago.
> 
> I have zero knowledge of anything having to do with a fishing boat so just go with it.
> 
> Also, if you know me then you know that, yes the title is a lyric from Louden Swain's song "Help You". I Am Shameless.

Sam Winchester steps over the threshold of his cabin clutching a steaming cup of tea and looks over the vast expanse of nothing spread out before him. Aside from a subtle bobbing up and down, the ocean is eerily calm on this late afternoon as it slips into early evening. The sky is clear save for a few wispy, white clouds and the faint color of purple.

With practiced ease, he climbs the three rung ladder one handed to reach the Captain’s chair on the Fly bridge. Checking his instrument panel, he's pleased to see he hasn't drifted far off track during his quick snooze below deck.

As he waits for the sea anchor to pull up, Sam sits back in his chair, sips his tea and enjoys the view. There are times when being alone at sea is good for Sam's soul, it centers him, he's able to forget about the stress of work and the ache of his loss.

Then there are other times, like now, when being alone at sea emphasizes the fact he’s very much alone. The sunset is beautiful and he'll never grow tired of its beauty but to see nothing but blue water and sky is sometimes...overwhelming. The only sound he hears is the lap of the water against the hull, the whirl of his motor and his own breathing.

He digs the heel of his hand into his eye in an attempt to rub away the vision of twisted metal and red...so much red. The memory of fresh cut flowers is still so clear and it threatens to choke Sam. He picks up his mug, takes a large swallow and focuses on the task at hand.

Once the anchor meant only to slow drifting is up, he fires up the engine. He has enough fuel to last for days but it'll only take him an hour to reach his island. He figures he may even make it back with daylight to spare.

Not for the first time since leaving home for this break away from reality, he wishes Dean had agreed to join him. Something catches his attention and pulls Sam from his thoughts of his brother but when he looks to his left there isn’t anything there but the flat horizon. Must’ve been a fish he thinks as he sets his cup down into the holder and checks his instruments one last time.

His hand is on the accelerator when something pulls his attention back to his left, this time it isn't movement turning his head, only instinct. He scans his eyes over the distance again, seeing nothing, he's convinced once again it was a fish or maybe a dolphin. During one final sweep is when he sees the flash.  _Red_.

Sam grabs his binoculars, now he knows where to look and he spots the figure right away. He slams the accelerator down and spins the wheel, closing the 100 foot distance quickly.

As he draws closer, more details come into focus. He isn't able to make out if it's a man or woman draped over the flotation device. His, or her, face is turned away and her head is covered in a red ball cap. Sam doesn't even know if this person is alive.

"Hello?" Sam calls out as he kills the engine to avoid pushing the figure away in his wake. "Hey there, hang on there, Buddy, I'm gonna get you out of there."

Sam skims down the short ladder and makes his way to the stern of the boat in two short strides. As he's kicking off his flip flops the person lets out a loud groan, shifts his (or her) weight and slips off the life preserver ring and into the water.

His bare toes grasp the edge of the hull right before he pushes off, sailing over the swimming platform and into the ocean below. The surface is still warm from the fading sun but the further Sam goes down, the colder it gets.

Sam's feet have just cleared the surface when his fingers brush over fabric, he blindly grasps the shirt then hooks his hands under arms and around a chest. A chest, Sam determines, is male, if the size of the broad shoulders is any indication.

Sam kicks his feet and is pulling in fresh oxygen in a manner of seconds. Dragging the man as he goes, Sam swims to the boat. He slips the man behind him and drapes his arms over his shoulders as he grabs a hold of the ladder.

It takes him several attempts but on the third go, he manages to hoist both of them up onto the first rung of the ladder. Once their torsos are out of the water, Sam shifts his body until the man slides over his shoulder onto the swimming platform. It's a very narrow space and the man, the non-breathing man, will easily slip overboard if Sam isn't quick.

Keeping a hand on his leg to keep him in place, Sam steps around the ladder and onto the platform. Not wasting any time, he opens the small door and drags the man onto the stern’s deck.

Dropping beside him, Sam pushes his wet hair out of his eyes and looks at the man's chest. Seeing no movement he hovers his right cheek over his mouth. Nothing.

He opens up his airway with a hand on his forehead and two fingers under his chin and seals his lips over the man's mouth. He forces in a lungful of air, turning his head to the left just enough in order to watch the chest rise. He pulls back long enough to fill his own lungs before resuming the mouth to mouth. The second breath is halfway in when the man moves and Sam gets a taste of salt water.

He pulls back and rolls the man to his side, cupping his head with his right hand so he doesn't injury himself. He coughs for several seconds, bringing up ocean water and stomach bile. "There ya go, take it easy, you're okay."

Sam pulls the baseball cap off his head with his left hand and takes in the man's profile as his hand slides down his shoulder and rests at his hip. He looks to be about Sam's age, light brown hair that may dry even lighter. Narrow face with a chin that juts slightly. "Just stay put," Sam tells him as he lets out another moan and tries to sit up, "give yourself a second."

The man tries to speak but breaks into another coughing fit which brings up more stomach contents and ocean water. When the fit calms, he lets the weight of his head fall back onto Sam's hand.

"Better?" he asks as he lowers his head to the deck then slides his hand out.

He remains silent for a moment as he catches his breath but then brings a hand up to rub over his face and croaks out a quiet, "Yeah."

"Ready to try sitting up?"

The man nods slightly as his eyes flutter open and Sam grabs his shoulder, "Go slow." He helps him sit up and scoot back to lean against the back of the boat.

"What the fuck?" he forces out in a rush of air. "How am I not dead?"

"You must have one heck of an Angel looking out for you," Sam tells him as he pats the man's thigh before settling back onto his haunches.

The sound of his chuckle makes Sam's stomach do a little flip, odd he thinks. "You ain't kidding, I don't even know what hap-" he stops mid-sentence as he looks up into Sam's face.

"What's wrong?" Concern washes over Sam as he takes in the look of surprise on his face.

"Yeah, I'm dead," his voice is rough from salty sea water.

Sam's hand freezes mid air as he reaches to grab the other man's shoulder. "What?" confusion painting his voice.

"There's no way I get rescued by someone looking like  _you_. I must be dead cause I  _know_  I'm not in some lame Lifetime movie."

Sam lets out a bark of a laugh and settles back onto his heels as he lets his hand fall to the man's ankle. "No, you're very much alive, I don't think you'd be doing that," he gestures with his chin to the stream of fluid making its way back into the ocean with the rock of the boat, "if you were in heaven. I'm Sam, by the way."

He follows Sam's gaze then covers his face with groan, "How the hell did this happen? Sorry for yacking on your boat, uh-"

"Sam," he supplies when he seems to stall. Sam finds himself having just as hard of a time finding words as he gets a good look at the man's face. His hair is plastered to his forehead and over his ears, framing his heart shaped face. Above his slightly jutting chin is a set of blistered lips, the upper lip is curved high in a smirk.

But it's the man's eyes that makes Sam's breath catch a little and his words freeze in his throat. He feels ridiculous, thinking his reaction is straight out of the Lifetime movie the other guy mentioned but he can't help it. His eyebrows are hooded over his whiskey smoked eyes that seem to shine even in the fading light. "Uh, don't worry about that," Sam continues once he finds his voice, "not the first time, won't be the last time."

"Sam, right, you just told me that," he says as he shakes his head, "I feel like my head is stuffed with cotton. Name's Gabriel."

"Nice to meet you, Gabriel," Sam tells him with a small smile as he holds out his hand, "wish is was under different circumstances."

Gabriel grasps Sam's outstretched hand and laughs quietly, "You and me both."

Their hands break apart and Sam can't help but feel a tug of remorse. "We should get you into the cabin, it's a little warmer in there," Sam comments as he notices Gabriel's lips are starting to take on a blue tinge and his shoulders are starting to shake. "Think you can stand?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I can hardly feel my body."

"I'm amazed you're able to move your arms at all, how long do you think you've been out here, draped over that ring?"

Gabriel's head drops into his hands but he remains silent.

"Don't worry about it now, just take another minute. I'll be right back." He waits for Gabriel to lift his head and nod before getting up and climbing up the ladder to the Fly deck. He grabs his coffee mug, grateful it's still warm to the touch.

He carries it over to Gabriel and crouches beside the trembling man, "Drink this while I get you some blankets.

"What is it?" he asks accepts the mug and peers over the rim, nose wrinkling.

"Tea. You're dehydrated but we don't want to be dumping a bunch of water down your gullet."

"Ew."

"You sound like my brother, just drink it, it's warm," Sam tells him with a shake of his head as he stands back up.

He hears the sounds of sipping from behind him as he walks into the cabin. He grabs a few towels, blankets and some dry clothes and drops all but a towel onto the cushioned bench that runs along the left side of the cabin.

"How's your stomach handling that?" he asks as he drapes the towel over Gabriel's shoulders.

"Seems to be helping. It's not as vile as I thought it'd be."

"Not a tea drinker?" Sam asks with a small smile as he crouches beside him.

"Only the long island variety," he replies as he sets the empty mug down.

"Come on, lets get you inside and out of those wet clothes," he grabs the red ball cap that ended up saving Gabriel's life and holds it loosely in his hand.

"My, my Sam, we just met. Although," he adds an afterthought and a glance down at the mug, "you did technically buy me a drink."

"Come now, I think you deserve  _at least_  a meal before we start rounding the bases." He holds a hands out for Gabriel and pulls him to his feet.

Gabriel lets out a loud groan, "I'm not so sure I deserve that but I appreciate the sentiment. Ah fuck, my shoulders feel like they're on fire," he cries as he slumps against Sam.

Sam wraps an arm around his waist and leads him towards the cabin, "How long do you think you were out there?"

"Ah, well, I remember eating breakfast on my boat but not lunch."

"Is that the last thing you remember?" He lowers Gabriel down onto the bench next to the pile of clothes and blankets and adds the ball cap to the pile.

"Yeah, it's all kind of hazy. So I guess to answer your question, a really long fucking time."

"I'd say so. It's no wonder your limbs are numb. Think you can get your shirt off?"

Sam watches as he slowly raises his arm and attempts to reach behind his back, over his shoulder. His fingers graze but are unable to grasp the material. His trembling has increased and his teeth are starting to chatter.

Sam's concern for his body temperature overrides his concern for giving Gabriel his modesty and he pulls his shirt over his head then slips it free of his arms. He averts his eyes, fighting the desire to let his eyes linger over the tan skin of his chest, wondering if he has a tight stomach or if he's soft around the middle from too many beers or late night snacks.

"Th-thanks," Gabriel tells him with a nod, or more like a bob, of his head as a violent shiver racks his body.

Sam grabs one of the dry towels and takes a seat next to Gabriel as he covers his shoulders and rubs his arms and back. He's hyper-aware of the slight muscle under his palm and the close proximity of their faces. Who is this Gabriel? Sam wonders. How did he find himself out there, alone and clinging to life? "Oh, sorry," Sam stammers as he removes his hands and runs them through his own wet and dripping hair, "I'm not helping by dropping more water onto you."

"What?" Gabriel's eyes seem to gloss over momentarily as he looks into Sam's face. He shakes his head, "Oh, no, you're hot, I mean your body it's...I mean....dear Lord," Gabriel cries as he drops his head into his hands.

Sam can't hold back the nervous laugh that bubbles up from his chest, "I get what you're saying, I do tend to run a bit warmer than my fellow humans. Oh hey," Sam cries as he pushes to his feet, "you must be starving. I can heat you up some soup," he offers with a gesture to the hot plate sitting on the counter next to the small sink.

Gabriel shakes his head and lays a hand over his stomach, "I know I should be hungry but I don't know if I could eat right now. I just have too much," he makes a circle motion around his head, "going on up here."

Sam bites his lip, unsure of how to ask his next question, "I hate to ask this but, were you alone, I mean should we be looking for-"

"Oh, no," Sam is relieved when Gabriel catches on to what he's attempting to ask, "I was alone."

To keep from rushing to Gabriel's side and wrapping his arms around this stranger who's just gone through his own personal Hell, Sam focuses on what he can do. "Okay, that's good....I guess. I need to get us docked before we lose our daylight," he tells Gabriel, hoping his voice doesn't betray how flustered he feels. He gestures to the door immediately to the right of the cabin door, "There's a shower in there, the tank's full. The water doesn't get steaming hot but it does warm up. You should rinse the salt off your skin. I set aside some dry clothes for you."

"No offense, Sam, but if you haven't noticed there's a bit of a size difference between us."

Sam runs his hands through his hair, "They actually belonged to my Dad," he clears his throat as the smell of flowers returns, "he was closer to your size so they may fit better."

Gabriel drops his eyes and looks at the pile next to him, "Uh, thanks. You know, I"m fine with clothes that are little big if you'd rather I not wear h-"

"No, really, it's fine," Sam paints his face with the smile he'd grown used to forcing into place after the accident. To his surprise, the false smile is quickly replaced with the real deal as he catches Gabriel's eye and see's clear appreciation there.

"If you need anything, just yell, I'll hear you." Sam points straight ahead towards the point of the boat that holds Sam's bed, "Feel free to lay down, if you get claustrophobic you may want to stay out here, as you can see it's kind of an enclosed space. The bench you're sitting on pulls flat. If you do get hungry, feel free to riffle through the cupboards."

Sam takes a few steps to his right and bends to open the mini fridge tucked under the counter. He pulls out a sports drink and hands it to Gabriel, "Drink slow."

Gabriel nods, "Thanks, this I'll happily take. You'd think I ingested a bunch of salty food recently."

Sam smiles at him and wonders if he's always this witty or only when he's covering what he's really feeling. "It should only take an hour to get there," Sam continues as he searches through a drawer and pulls out dry clothing for himself. "Maybe once we dock, you'll be ready for some solid food."

Sam twists the t-shirt and shorts in his hands and looks over Gabriel as he sits huddled under the towel. He's still shivering but his blistered lips are no longer blue. "Are you sure I can't get you anything before I head up?"

"Uh, no I think you've already gone above and beyond, Sam. Thank you."

Sam hesitates at the door, finding it difficult to leave Gabriel alone. He slaps the door frame with his hand and forces his feet forward knowing a night on the open sea will not be any fun for either of them, "I'll leave you be then."

He closes the door behind him and pulls in a deep breath of the sea air. He changes clothes quickly, lays the wet ones over the bench on the stern deck area to dry with the morning sun and climbs up the ladder to the captain's chair.

He feels a brief moment of deja vu as he looks over his instrument panel and is grateful to see he hasn't drifted off course. The sound of the water pump for the shower kicks on, bringing with it a vision of Gabriel peeling off his wet cargo pants then stepping into the- "What the hell is  _wrong_  with you?" Sam cries aloud. "Dude nearly dies and you're sitting here thinking about what it'd be like to hear him crying out 'Oh God'."  _Asshole_ , he thinks with a shake of his head.

He pushes the accelerator a little more before turning his thoughts back to the man below him. He already said he was alone in the water but did his boat sink? Is there someone out on a boat looking for him?  Sam gets the feeling Gabriel may remember more than he's letting on but that's his choice to keep to himself. He imagines whatever happened isn't something he'd wish on his worst enemy and if Gabriel would rather not talk about it, Sam's going to respect that.

He twists at the waist and looks down when the cabin door slides open. Gabriel emerges with a blanket wrapped tightly around his shoulders. He feels a sudden warmth spread through his chest as he gazes down at the top of his head. This protectiveness he feel over Gabriel is a mere side effect of saving him, right? He doesn't even know the man's last name, surely what he's feeling isn't more than that. Right?

He tracks his movements as Gabriel lays his wet clothes out along side Sam's. Feeling a little lecherous for watching, Sam faces forward when Gabriel pauses to look out over the water. 

A moment later, Sam senses Gabriel's close proximity before he hears him breech the last rung of the ladder. Sam clears off the pile of paper and magazines on the second seat and smiles at Gabriel as he sits down. "How ya feeling? Was the shower warm enough? Looks like the clothes fit okay."

"Checking out the goods, were ya Sam?"

Sam feels his face flush but he's never been one to lie so he keeps his mouth shut and his eyes on the sea stretching before them.

Gabriel laughs at Sam's silence and lets out a little hum before answering Sam's other question. "Considering I could be dinner for Ariel and her family, I'd say I"m doing pretty good."

Despite his joke, Sam can see from his profile alone how tired Gabriel is. Not just, I stayed up too late better hit the coffee tired, but bone weary-everything hurts  _exhausted_. "We still have another 30 minutes or so if you want to get some shut eye."

Gabriel scrubs a hand over his face and sits back with a sigh, "Nah." Seemingly to leave unspoken the thought he doesn't want to be alone.

"Suit yourself," Sam tells him good naturedly, "I could use the company anyway. You know, you're not going to warm up with wet hair." Sam doesn't want to sound like he's nagging but he can't ignore the need to look out for Gabriel.

"Thanks, Mom, but I think I'll survive."

Out of the corner of his eye, Sam sees him shiver and pull the blanket tighter but doesn't say anything.

"So this brother you keep mentioning. Older or younger?"

Subject change, okay we can do this. "Uh, four years older. Dean would be the first to tell you he's the older, wiser and better looking Winchester brother."

Gabriel slowly turns his head to look at Sam. He holds his gaze, letting that Whiskey color ooze out until Sam swears he's feeling a little drunk. He arches an eyebrow, "I find that hard to believe."

Sam blinks as his brain stutters, "Brains or the looks part?"

"Yes," he says simply, making the corner of Sam's lip twitch up.

It would be so easy to just lean to his right and capture those lips. Warm Gabriel up from the inside out. Unless he's reading him wrong, which is entirely possible, Gabriel is aware of whatever is brewing between them and he doesn't seem to be repulsed by the fact he's a man. Maybe just a little peck on the cheek, he thinks as he leans in closer, eyes watching for any sign of a red, or even yellow, light. 

Their faces are mere inches apart when the wind shifts and Sam stops cold, "Why do I smell blood?" Before he can pull Gabriel's blanket off to look for the source of the iron scent, Gabriel supplies the answer.

With a wince, he lifts a hand to his head, "The shower reopened the gash on the back of my head, sorry man, I hope I"m not getting blood on your blanket."

"Fuck the blanket, why didn't you tell me you were injured?" He spins Gabriel's chair to the right in order to get a better look at the back of his head.

"I think its just a scrape, ow!" His shoulders hunch up as Sam's fingers part his hair.

"Sorry, this is gonna sting but I gotta get a look at it."

To his credit, Gabriel sits stock still as Sam parts his damp hair to reveal a two inch cut. "You're right, it's not deep and it doesn't appear to be bleeding anymore but when we dock I'm going to put some disinfectant on it." He lets his hands slide from Gabriel's head, down his neck until they rest lightly on his shoulders. Now it's Sam's turn to wince as his fingers return to the back of Gabriel's neck and brush feather light over his skin. "You also have a wicked sunburn, I should have something for that as well." What he wouldn't give to lean forward and kiss over every little heat blister.

Instead of taking advantage of an injured stranger, Sam pulls the soft blanket up over Gabriel's neck and spins his chair back around. "Any other injuries?"

"What are you, a doctor?"

"No, EMT."

Gabriel's eyes widen slightly before he answers with a shrug of his shoulder, "Uh, no just sun burn, my legs are still a little shaky and yes I'm fucking freezing but, thanks to you, I'm still sucking oxygen."

Sam returns his attention to the instrument panel and makes a slight adjustment with the wheel, mostly for something to do with his hands so they don't reach over and grab a hold of one Gabriel's hands from where they lay, fidgeting in his lap.

Said hand slowly reaches up and grabs the notebook sitting on the top of the pile. Sam nods his head when Gabriel looks for approval before pulling out the pen sticking out from the top of the spiral. "Sam, I just want you to know that I'm not," his voice is quiet and he pauses to find a blank page, "I wasn't out here doing anything hinky, I just-"

Now Sam does lay a hand over Gabriel's, "Don't. You don't owe me any explanation and you don't have to relive what happened." He pulls his hand back, "I mean, unless you want to talk then I'm here, but I dunno...I never once thought there was trouble or illegal...or whatever going on." What the hell's wrong with him? He sounds like a twelve year old. "I'm just glad you're okay," he finishes feeling lame.

Gabriel's eyes are wide and the pen is poised mid stroke on the paper, "But you don't even know me, how can you trust me like that? What if I'm a drug runner or a pirate? For all you know, this could be some kind of ruse and there're bad men coming after you with a bigger boat and guns."

Sam takes less then a heartbeat to reply, "I dunno, I just do." He supposes either of those possibilities could be true but he doesn't believe it.

"Huh," is all he says before angling the notebook away from Sam as he starts to scratch away at the paper.

"I have a radio, is there someone you want to call?"

Gabriel looks down at the water for a moment, seeming to think before shaking his head, "No, I don't think there is." Sam is sure that isn't the case but he lets it go.

The remainder of the return trip is spent in a comfortable silence as Sam navigates and Gabriel continues, to what Sam figures, is drawing. 

"Here we are, home sweet home, for at least the next twelve hours," Sam announces as he turns his old 31 Bertram fishing boat around to back it up against the land no bigger than a two car garage.

"Where are we?" Gabriel cries as he closes the notebook and drops it back onto the pile and flings the blanket off his shoulders, "I mean, I know we're in the Pacific, but where? I feel like I just stepped into Brigadoon."

Sam smiles as he kills the engine and lowers the weighted anchor, "Not Scotland and this island doesn't disappear for 100 years at a time but the beauty of it is, very few know about it." 

Sam climbs down the ladder and waits at the bottom, noticing Gabriel wasn't exaggerating when he said his legs were shaky, "About two hundred miles that way is San Diego," Sam tells him as he points past the bow of the ship. "When my brother and I were kids," he explains as he steps off the swimming platform and ties the boat off to a nearby tree, "my Dad would take us out here to camp."

"In the middle of the ocean?" Gabriel cries.

Sam laughs as he offers Gabriel a hand to step off the platform onto the soft sand, "You sound like my mom, she hated it when we came out here. In the twenty plus years we've been coming here I think we've seen maybe ten boats." Sam walks to the middle of the island where a large rock sits. He pushes the rock aside and slides the sheet of wood it's sitting on to the side to reveal a metal ring set in the ground.

"You have your own fire pit? A magic island only 200 miles from land and no one comes here? Yup, we found Brigadoon island."

"I'd agree with the magical part," Sam tells him as he crouches to light the kindling he prepared before leaving that morning. The coals from his fire the night before are still warm and the fire lights right up. He stacks a few logs against the teepee before standing. "Know how to keep a fire going?"

"I'm not just a pretty face ya know."

Sam feels that familiar twitch of his lip and bites it before he tells Gabriel to prove it. "Time'll tell, I guess. There's another rock like this on the far end. Under it you'll find dry wood and a few folding chairs. Think you could keep this going while I prepare some grub?"

 "I think I can manage," he replies with a smirk.

Sam returns to the cabin on the boat and takes stock of his supplies. He figures Gabriel is probably hungry for something more then soup but not as heavy as burgers. He decides on fire toasted sandwiches to use up the remaining lunch meat. He also peels, slices and seasons a few potatoes and an onion and throws them in a foil packet. 

He's pulling out his makeshift cooking grate when Gabriel walks in the door. Sam's smile quickly fades from his face upon seeing the vacant look on his face. His arms are wrapped tightly across his chest and his feet stutter to a halt just inside the door. 

Sam straightens slowly and sets the grate on the counter. He figures there are several ways he could approach this. Ask him, for what would be undoubtedly the 200th time if he's okay which would be ridiculous because  _of course_  Gabriel's not okay.  _Something_  happened out there to him. Something either sunk his boat or someone took off with his boat.  _Somehow_  he ended up clinging to a ring, for what seven?, eight? hours just waiting. Waiting for help or more likely, waiting to die. No, he most certainly is  _not_  alright.

He could ask that and receive a false answer or he could take Gabriel's lead, "Don't tell me you killed the fire already?" Sam teases with a light tone. He chooses to help when, and however, he can. Make it clear he's a safe place for him to recover with and he's here if or when he wants to talk about it.

Gabriel looks back through the screen at the fire that's clearly going strong, "What?" It only takes a beat and Gabriel snaps out of it, "No, you ass," his voice is clear and strong as he turns back to face Sam, "I came in to see if I could help but if you're gonna be like that maybe I'll just go back out there and sit my fine ass down and let you wait on me."

"Like a pampered princess?"

"Actually I was thinking more like a Greek God but whatever floats your boat, I can work with that." Sam's palms grow damp as Gabriel closes the gap between them until there's less then a foot of air between them. "I can be a fierce diva when I need to be." The whiskey brown grows darker right before Sam's eyes and he swallows thickly. 

"I have no doubts," he tells him huskily. What he wouldn't give to see those dimples appear again. The ones that only seem to appear when Gabriel is smarting off. "Uh, yeah," Sam clears his throat and tears his gaze away from Gabriel, "wh-what do you want to drink? I have beer, water and sports drinks. Or I can boil some water for tea or coffee. You still seem a little, uh cold."

"I will deny ever doin this but I think I gotta turn down the beer for, God help me, hot tea. What the fuck has my life come to?" he cries with a slap of his hand to the counter.

"Don't worry," Sam laughs softly with a pat on Gabriel's bicep,  _nope not feeling the muscle there and wanting to see it for himself, nope nuh-huh_ , "your secret is safe with me. Set this over the fire pit," he instructs as he hands Gabriel the cooking grate, "these are potatoes, better get those going right away. They should be okay right in the pit in the hot coals. I'll be out with these sandwiches once the water is ready."

Gabriel gives Sam one nod of understanding before heading back out the door. The air in Sam's lungs comes rushing out. What a weird day this has turned out to be.

Less then ten minutes later Gabriel returns. "I was just about to call out to you," Sam tells him, "what kind of tea do you want?"

"Hell if I know, man. I'd drink just hot water if that didn't sound kind of appalling."

Sam pulls out a sealed, plastic container and cards through the small paper envelopes, "I have lemon, peppermint, lavender and chamomile."

"Ick. I don't know," he tells him has he peers down into the box, bringing the top of his head just under Sam's nose. He certainly does not inhale deeply to breathe in the faint smell of his own shampoo but also a sweet musk. "What were you drinking earlier today? That was _almost_ pallitable."

Sam's long fingers flip back through the tea packets until he finds what he needs and plucks it out, "Camomile it is."

"Yup, there goes the last shred of my manliness. Got any crumpets and dainty little cups to go with my Camomile tea?" he cries in an awful british accent.

"Hey!" Sam cries back, "I drink tea often, are you saying I"m not manly?" He sets the container down on the counter, puffs out his chest and looks down at Gabriel, doing his best to hold back his grin.

"F-fuck no I'm not saying that at all, man," Gabriel stutters out.

"Good. Now that we have that settled, let's eat," Sam winks at Gabriel as he grabs the tray of sandwiches waiting to be toasted, "these will only take a few minutes." He picks up the tongs for the potatoes and a spatula for the sandwiches and looks around the galley, "Will this be enough for you? You must be starving."

Gabriel picks up the plates, forks and napkins Sam had set out onto the counter, "I should be but I'm really not. I guess I"m still...processing everything," he finishes weakly. "Well, maybe, uh never mind," he makes to move out the door but Sam stops him with a hand on his arm.

"What can I get you?"

Gabriel looks at his shuffling feet, "Got anything sweet?"

"I don't eat much in the line of sweets-"

"Don't worry about it, this's all great, I shouldn't be-"

"No, wait!" Sam cries as a thought occurs to him, "Dean used to keep a stash of candy bars..." he voice fades as he ducks into the cubby space where the bed is held. He opens one of the small doors near the foot of the bed, "Ah ha, jack pot," Sam sends a silent thank you out to Dean as he hands the two candy bars over to Gabriel. He owes Dean big time for allowing him to help put the grin currently on Gabriel's face.

"I definetly feel like a Greek God now, you sure he won't mind?"

"Nah, he won't mind,"  _because I plan to buy him an entire pallet of chocolate and beer as a thank you._

Gabriel sips his tea as Sam toasts their sandwiches. "Are you from San Diego?"

"Growing up, we spent most summers here but we lived in Kansas. We didn't move out here until I was in the eight grade. My mom is," Sam winces and corrects himself weakly, " _was_  a defense attorney and she was offered a partnership with a firm run by a friend of hers. Dad was a fireman so his job was easily transferable." Sam hesitates briefly before returning the question, "What about you?"

"Born and raised in Pasadena."

"Small world, huh?" Sam comments with a small smile.

"Do you and your brother get along?" Something in the hitch of Gabriel's voice makes Sam pause as he pulls the foil packet from the fire pit. He sets it on the grate, away from the heat.

"He's my best friend. I mean, we have our differences but we always have each other's back."

"You live near each other?"

"He and his husband and my niece live two miles from me. What about you? Any siblings?" He opens the potatoes and spoons them onto two plates, adds a sandwich to each pile then hands one plate to Gabriel.

It takes Gabriel a moment to answer, his attention is focused on his fork as it runs through his potatoes and onions, "I have a half brother. Older," he adds as an afterthought. "We don't really get along all that well. I thought we were getting to a better place but after today, I-" his words falter and he takes a deep breath.

Sam gives him a moment, letting him steer the conversation.

Gabriel shakes his head and takes another deep breath, "Thanks for this, Sam. This is really great."

"Of course," Sam tells him as he sets his own plate aside and gets up to retrieve Gabriel's blanket.

"Thanks, I don't know why I'm still so cold," Gabriel tells Sam as he drapes the blanket over his shoulders.

"Hate to state the obvious but I felt that water, it wasn't exactly bath water and you were out there, for what I'm guessing, was most of the day. Not to mention the blood you lost from the cut on your head. And now what little heat you have is radiating off your sun burn. It's not a surprise you're having a difficult time." Hoping to encourage Gabriel to actually eat his food instead of using it as a diversion, he takes a bite of his sandwich and follows it with a forkful of potato.

It works and Gabriel follows suite. Around a mouthful he asks, "What time is it now?"

"While you were tending to the fire, I sent a text to Dean to check in, because if I don't he'll send out a search party, and it was a little after six so it's probably close to seven now."

"You have service out here?" Gabriel asks almost incredulously.

Sam holds his hand out, palm up, "Told you, magic island."

Gabriel shakes his head and watches the fire for a moment before saying, "Eight hours." His words are whisper soft and he doesn't elaborate but he doesn't need to. Sam understands what it means and he can't even imagine the hell every minute of those eight hours must have been.

They eat in a comfortable silence, each clearing their plates. Gabriel's eyes have grown heavy as he finishes his candy bar. "If you've had enough of being on the water I have a tent we can set up out here. If we keep the fire going it won't be too bad, little rough on the back but it's understandable if you don't want to rock in the boat all night."

Gabriel tosses his wrapper into the fire and watches it curl with the heat, "The boat will be fine. I've spent my fair share of time sleeping in them."

"Great, need a refill on the tea while I clean up and set your bed up?"

Gabriel stands and takes Sam's plate from his hand, "I'll help."

Gabriel clears away the dishes as Sam seperates what's left of the low burning logs with a fire poker. He checks the tether knot around the tree and on the boat then joins Gabriel inside the cabin.

"Did you get enough to eat?"

"Hmm?" Sam walks up behind Gabriel and looks over his shoulder at the framed picture he's studying, "Oh yeah, I did. Thanks. Is this Dean?" He points to one of the four figures standing on the stern of the boat.

"Uh no, that's Castiel, my brother in law, that's Dean," he extends his right arm over Gabriel's right shoulder to point his brother out then slides it to the left, "and that's our Dad. That was taken here, obviously," he pauses to let out a huff of laughter at himself, "right before their wedding. It was kind of a bachelor party I threw for them." 

Lost in his memory of that weekend, Sam doesn't realize his arm has drifted down to curl over Gabriel's chest, his hand hangs from his left shoulder. He startles back to the present when when Gabriel speaks, "Yup, I knew it, I was right."

Sam starts to pull his arm back but Gabriel stops him when he grabs his wrist. "Uh, right about what?" He moves to the left in order to look at Gabriel's face.

"I was right, you  _are_  the better looking Winchester brother. Don't get me wrong, he's not bad looking and his husband," Gabriel lets out a low whistle that makes Sam laugh, "but you're better looking, in my humble opinion. You know, I feel the need to tell you I'm a way better kisser then what you experienced out on that deck today."

Sam feels his face heat as he pulls his arm back and turns away and lets out a nervous laugh on an exhale of air, "Try telling that to Dean," Sam says, choosing to ignore the reference to kissing and the mouth to mouth because, frankly he doesn't trust how he may respond to a statement like that.

"Alright, I will."

Sam smiles wide at the thought of this spit fire going toe to toe with Dean, he'd place his money on Gabriel without a doubt. "Come on, lets get some shut eye. In the medicine cabinet there should be a new toothbrush, do you want some warmer clothes? I may be able to find a sweatshirt."

"Nah, this is fine, I'll just," he gestures towards the closet-like bathroom, or head as it's called on a boat, while Sam turns away to make up his bed.

He folds the table to the ground then tugs on the edge of the bench seat until it falls flat, the faded blue backrest cushion settles into place beside the other. He lays down an old comforter for extra padding then covers the whole bed with a sheet. Gabriel emerges as Sam folds back the blankets and fluffs his pillow.

"I'm afraid it isn't five star but it's the best I have to offer."

"My travel agent assured me there would be a mint on my pillow and a hot continental breakfast in the morning."

Despite his teasing tone and the smile on his face, Gabriel looks worn thin. The dark smudges under his eyes are made more prominent with the harsh red burn on his face. As Sam looks him over now, he notices for the first time, the faintest smattering of freckles over the bridge of his nose. "I'm fresh out of mints but I promise a follow through on breakfast." He crosses the room, opens a cupboard and pulls out a square box, "First I'm going to take a look at that cut on your head."

Gabriel rolls his eyes, "I think you've done plenty already, it's fine."

"Sit down, this isn't a discussion."

"Oh Sam," Gabriel coos as he lowers himself to his bed and pulls a knee up and twists so Sam can look at the back of his head, "I'm hearing a hint of a closeted Dom."

Sam ignores him and takes a seat behind him. He pulls out a few gauze pads and soaks them with a first aide rinse. "This may sting a bit," he warns as he gently parts the hair over the cut. Gabriel makes a hissing sound as Sam dabs at the wound but he doesn't move. "It's looking pretty good, I'm not seeing any signs of infection." 

He digs around in the kit for a moment and finds the burn ointment. He squeezes a strip onto his index finger then softens it with the pad of his thumb, "If it's okay with you, I'm going to put a little ointment on the back of your neck, it looks a little painful." He waits for Gabriel to shrug his shoulder before letting his fingers slide over the warm skin. 

"Uh, that actually feels nice, I didn't realize how much it was bothering me," Gabriel tells him quietly.

"Don't be afraid to speak up, I want to help," Sam tells him just as quietly. "Oh, hey," he adds with a raised voice as he drops the tube into the box and picks up another tube, "here's some vaseline for your lips."

Gabriel shifts his hips until he's facing Sam, "For my...lips?" he asks as he accepts the tube. "Has anyone ever told you you're adorable when you blush?"

Sam pushes to his feet, "Has anyone ever told you you're a smart ass?"

Gabriel shrugs and glides the angled tip over his lips, "Maybe one or two over the years."

"Well you are. Now lay down, I'm going to," now Sam is the one gesturing towards the bathroom. When he reemerges from using the head and brushing his teeth, Gabriel is laying flat, staring at the ceiling with his head propped under his head. "Don't get up," Sam tells him as he starts to push up. "Warm enough?"

Speaking to the ceiling he responds, "No but I don't think I'd be warm enough if I was sitting on the sun." 

Sam grabs the blanket off his bed, leaving just the sheet behind, "I didn't mean I wanted  _your_  blanket."

"It's fine," Sam reassures him as he spreads it over his body, "I don't use it anyway. I could be sitting in the North Pole and still not be cool enough."

"Well, thanks."

"Anytime. Now holler if you need anything." Right before snapping the light off he looks at Gabriel and waits for him to make eye contact, "And Gabriel, there was something you were wrong about." 

"Really?" he smirks, "Please tell, I'm hardly ever wrong about anything."

"I'm more of a Sub." He snaps off the light and leaves Gabriel in the dark with his mouth hanging open.

Sam pulls off his t-shirt then crawls onto his bed with a soft chuckle. "Good night, Gabriel." 

"Night, smart ass."

 

Images of twisted metal, shards of glass, rain misting lightly enough to make the surface of the grass look like its covered in bubble wrap, and a leather clad arm hanging from an open car window fade from Sam's mind as his eyes pop open. He thinks maybe the loud cry that awoke him was his own, it's been at least a month since he's had the same nightmare but he wouldn't be surprised after the day he had if it'd returned. 

He hears a low whimper followed by a rustle of blankets.  _Gabriel_. He scrambles to get off his bed and rushes to Gabriel's side. He perches on the edge of his bed. With hands on his shoulders he shakes him gently and calls his name softly, "Shh, Gabriel, it's okay. It's just a dream. Open your eyes for me, buddy. Gabriel."

Gabriel lets out a cry of, "No!" before his eyes pop open and he bolts up right, covering his face with his hands as he pants.

"You're safe, Gabriel. You're not out there anymore," Sam continues to talk softly to him while he rubs his hands up and down Gabriel's arms and over the back of his neck.

His breathing slows and he removes his hands. Even in the moonlight, Sam's able to see the panic in his soft brown eyes. "Sam?"

Sam pulls him into a hug and holds him tight, "You're okay," he rubs Gabriel back as he begins to tremble.

"I'm not okay."

"You will be, I'm gonna make sure of it."

"Fuck," he cries as his forehead drops to Sam's shoulder and his weight sags against his chest, "I'm so cold."

His shaking intensifies but Sam thinks it may be an adrenaline drop because his skin, although clammy, doesn't feel cool to his touch.

"Sam, do you think you could, maybe...you know what never mind. Thanks," he tells Sam as he pulls away, "I'm s-sorry to wake you."

"Gabriel?" Sam takes a hold of Gabriel's chin as he turns away, "would you like me to lay here with you?"

Gabriel drops his eyes, "Would that be too weird? I mean you don't know me and I'm a dude after all."

"As if that matters to me one bit. No, it's not weird at all. Uh, let me grab my shirt."

"No!" he yells then winces, "no," he repeats with less gusto, "you're w-warm."

"If you're sure."

"F-fuck yes, please," to emphasize his point, Gabriel scoots over and holds the blanket to the side.

"Well you should probably, um well you'll warm up faster if you-" 

"S-Sam just tell me," he stammers out clearly agitated, I''m prepared to get to know you on a c-carnal level if it means warming up. I think my bones are ready to rattle out of my b-body."

"Take your shirt off."

"You know I w-wasn't serious about fucking, right? W-well n-not entirely anyway," he adds as he pulls off the long sleeved shirt.

"Stop talking and just lay down," Sam tells him around a grin as he stretches out and lays his arm down flat below Gabriel's pillow.

"Sub my a-ass," he mutters as he lays his neck over Sam's arm and scoots back against his chest. He lets out a low moan which makes Sam's blood boil with white hot heat. "You're like a f-furnace, so good."

Sam drapes his right arm over Gabriel's ribcage, splays his palm wide and pulls him closer. He rests his chin on Gabriel's shoulder and begins to speak, keeping his voice low and as soothing as he's able. He knows he isn't really cold. He's scared and stressed and his body is revolting. "When I was ten, my parents went out, somewhere I don't remember where, but they made us promise if we stayed in the house all night, they wouldn't get us a babysitter."

"But of course you didn't listen."

Sam lets out a small puff of air that tickles Gabriel's ear, "Nope. We took off on our bikes, hung out with friends, ya know stupid kid shit. On our way home we got caught in a massive downpour."

"That'll teach you to break a promise. 

"Yeah, you'd think but no. Stories all for another day. Anyway, by the time we got home, I felt like my marrow had been replaced by ice."

"That sounds about right," Gabriel says around another deep shudder. Sam begins to rub soft circles over his chest as he finishes his story, "I took a hot shower and piled a bunch of blankets on my bed but I just couldn't warm up. Tired of hearing my teeth chatter, Dean made me take off my shirt then he crawled into bed with me and held me like this."

Gabriel's shaking has already calmed to a mild tremor but Sam continues to skim his hand over his chest and up and down his arm until Gabriel brings his hands up and grabs a hold of him. Gabriel pulls his arm until his hand is resting at the center of his chest once again. They remain that way for several minutes as he clings to Sam, not unlike how he'd hung onto the life preserver several hours before. 

Sam turns his face into Gabriel's neck, "You're safe now. It's okay to sleep. You're not alone anymore."

Gabriel pulls in a deep breath and lets it out slowly as his body relaxes against Sam's chest. It isn't long before his breathing evens out. Sam kisses his temple lightly before laying his head onto the pillow and nuzzling his nose into Gabriel's soft hair.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Watch the tags.

For the first time in six months, Sam's first waking thought isn't _what if_? _What if_ his Dad had taken a different way home that night? _What if_ his Mom had given in to Kaia when she begged her Grandma to read her just one more book before they left their house that evening? _What if_?

For the first time in six months, Sam doesn't wake with the image of that evening at the side of the road still so fresh in his mind's eye. He doesn't feel the slick of blood under his fingers as he grasps his mother's neck, trying to apply pressure to a wound that was fatal the moment it had occured.

For the first time in six months, Sam wakes up _happy_ and _content._  Afraid to see the moment end, he keeps his lids closed but inhales deeply through his nose. Gabriel's hair tickles but he's too distracted by his sweet musk scent to notice. His hand presses firmer against Gabriel's chest, it's warm and smooth and he never wants to let him go. His chest hair is soft under his palm and his finger tips, under their own accord, flex and run through the silky strands.

"That tickles," Gabriel's words rumble through Sam's hand and it makes him shiver. "I didn't say stop," Gabriel tells Sam when his fingers cease all movement. "Well now, that's certainly _not_ ticklish!"

"Wha-, oh shit, I'm s-" Sam feels himself flush red as he starts to roll away from Gabriel. He's not embarrassed but he doesn't want it to seem like he's taking advantage of Gabriel's situation. His mind had been so caught up in how...nice it was just to be present with someone he hadn't been paying attention to how other parts of his body was reacting.

"Hey, hey wait," Gabriel shifts to his back, grabs Sam's shoulder and pulls him back down beside him. "Please...stay. Hell, if I didn't feel like I'd been gutted and baked in an oven for eight hours I'd be all over you. For fuck sake, _look_ at you."

"Don't forget the salt water brine," Sam replies as he props his head up onto his hand.

"No," Gabriel says on a deep sigh as he stares up at the ceiling, "I'll never forget about that part."

"No, I don't suppose you will," Sam says softly. He figures his hand must've grown it's own mind over night because just like when his fingers flexed through Gabriel's chest hair, they now move up to his face to brush away the bangs catching on his eyelashes. The eyes beneath the lashes are like two perfectly round honey cakes. Sam has yet to see them in such a bright light and he finds them to be hypnotizing.

His hand comes to rest once again on Gabriel's chest like he's drawn to it like a magnet. He feels the steady beat of his heart pick up when he asks gently, "What happened to your boat, Gabriel?"

His face remains lax, not even the slightest twitch as he continues to stare at the ceiling, almost as if he expected Sam to ask. After a moment he says, "I honestly don't know." They sit up together and Sam hands Gabriel his shirt. As he pulls it over his head he continues, "The guy I was with took off with it."

"Someone you knew?"

"No, he was a hired guide. He hit me over the head and shoved me in the water. It happened so fast I don't even know what he hit me with. All I know is, one minute I'm standing on the bow of the boat, watching the waves below and the next I feel a sharp pain on the back of my head and I'm in the water. As I struggled to get my head above water, I felt something hit me, turned out to be the the life preserver."

"Gabriel!" Sam cries with his hand pointing to the second radio that sits at the end of the counter, "We need to radio that in. Maybe they can get it back!"

"You know as well as I do that guy is long gone. Hell, he probably slipped around to Mexico long before you even found me. It's just a boat, Sam."

Sam doesn't know Gabriel enough to determine if his reaction is defeat or acceptance of the situation. Either way, Sam wants to make it right for him. "What about the guide? Was he a freelancer or was he from a company? We can start there."

"I got his name from," Gabriel shakes his head and looks out the cabin window, "you know what, it doesn't matter. There's nothing to be done about it now. I'm just grateful you found me when you did cause I can't lie, I was done. I didn't have it in me to fight to hang on an longer."

"You should be grateful to whoever gave you that hat," Sam jokes to cover the fear of how differently yesterday could've ended, "don't think I would've seen you if it weren't red. But in all seriousness, I really like you, Gabriel, and I'm glad you're here with me. And on that note," he tells him gently after a beat, "I believe I owe you a continental breakfast."

Gabriel watches Sam as he stands, "I'm the one that owes you, Sam. I certainly don't expect you to make me yet another meal." Gabriel joins Sam at the counter as he loads a small coffee maker.

The tone of Gabriel's voice makes Sam pause. He drops the filter into place and turns his full attention to Gabriel, "You don't owe me anything, you would've done the same thing if the roles were reversed. I meant it just now when I said I was glad you were here. I'm sorry for whatever it was that brought you here but I don't believe in conincidences. There's a reason that I came along to find you in the," he gestures out the window sharply, "in the fucking _ocean_....I don't take that lightly. So no, you don't owe me a damn thing."

Gabriel remains quiet, his mouth hanging slightly ajar as Sam continues. "Here's my plan. I'm going to make us a little breakfast then we'll pack up and head out. I'm sure you're anxious to get on solid land. Are you sure there isn't someone you want to radio home to? You mentioned a half brother. Won't he be worried about you? What about your parents?" Sam had no intention of pushing this hard but the more he thinks on the fact that if their roles had been reversed, Dean would be out of his mind with worry.

Gabriel's shoulders round ever so slightly as he looks out the cabin window, "The few I have back home will manage just fine without me."

"But Gab-"

"It's fine, Sam," Gabriel's tone is icey as he cuts off Sam's protests. His shoulders slump even further as he turns to see the look on Sam's face but he remains silent.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't push. I know it's none of my business." He turns back to the cupboards to pull out two mugs. He feels ashamed for pushing Gabriel after he promised himself he'd respect his privacy.

"You drink coffee?" He asks as a way to change the subject. "I don't have any cream or milk but," he breaks off his sentence as he bends to search through a lower cupboard and winces at the tremor in his voice, he's never been any good at hiding what he's feeling. His fingers close over the box he's searching for and he straightens up to set it on the counter. Avoiding Gabriel's gaze, he picks up where he left off, "I don't have any cream but I do have sugar. I'm guessing you like your coffee sweet."

Now he does chance a look at Gabriel and he finds it difficult to swallow past the lump that's formed in his throat. Gabriel's gaze is directed at the sugar but he seems to be looking somewhere else. Somewhere in an entirely different time or place. When he speaks, his voice is hushed and raw, "I do like it sweet. Jesus. Don't, uh, don't feel like you have to cut your trip short on my account." His fingers find their way to the box and tap lightly, "I feel like I've interfered with enough people's plans. I don't want to add you to the list."

Sam runs a hand through his hair and bites back the questions he so desperatly wants to ask. Who is he speaking of? His brother? A parent? A partner? Instead he says, "I'd planned to head home today all along. I, uh thought I wanted some time alone out here but I was wrong. Gabriel," Sam covers the hand that's currently playing with a sugar packet, "please don't." He waits for Gabriel to look up before conintuing, "You aren't interfering with any of my plans. Finding you out there, I really think it's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"I think your tune may change once you get to know me."

Sam stops Gabriel's attempt to walk away with a hand to his arm, "Hey," he waits for him to look up, searches his face then tells him, "why don't you let me be the judge of that?"

Gabriel locks his eyes, that have grown dark with his mood, onto Sam's. With a short nod of his head he replies, "Fair enough."

"Good," Sam reluctantlyl releases his arm and grins at him in hopes of lightening his mood, "now hit the head while I make us some food."

The corners of Gabriel's lips twitch slightly but Sam takes it as a win. As the door to the bathroom closes, he lets out the breath he's been holding. He gathers the few items he thinks may help Gabriel relax and sets them next to the full mug of steaming coffee and the box of sugar packets.

"Wasn't sure how sweet you liked it so I'll let you take care of that," Sam tells Gabriel as he emerges from the bathroom smelling like mint toothpaste. "You're welcome to hang out in here with me but I thought maybe," he picks up the notebook and soft pouch sitting next to the mug and hands them to Gabriel, "you might want to sit outside with these. Only if you want."

Now Sam feels a little silly as Gabriel gives him a quizzical look, eyebrow arched high as he pulls the zipper open and peeks into the bag then pulls out a few colored pencils and a small sharpener. "What-"  
Sam's fingers flip through his hair before he points to the notebook he retrieved from the Fly Bridge, "I thought maybe you would want to do some more sketching. My niece, Kaia, left those behind last time she was on board. A-and I just want you to know I didn't look at whatever it was you were working on while we were sitting together yesterday."

Gabriel drops the pencils back into the case and slowly zips it shut. He takes even longer to pick up the mug and and a few sugar packets. His silence has made Sam grow uncomfortable and he's about to tell him to just leave everything on the counter when Gabriel clears his throat. His eyes are glossed over as he meets Sam's gaze, "No one's ever...how did you.." His eyes close and he draws in a deep breath before trying again. "Drawing has always been therapuetic for me, it's more than a hobby." He opens his eyes and searches Sam's face, "How did you know I...needed this?"

"I took a guess. You seemed, not happier yesterday but a little more relaxed maybe, the longer you scratched away with that pen. I wanted to apologize for overstepping this morning. I know the night was rough for you and I shouldn't have pushed you just now. So, take some time while I make you some food."

Sam turns to the fridge and pulls out a half carton of eggs, shredded cheese and a bag of chopped broccoli from the tiny freezer section. The tension from his shoulders slides away as the cabin door closes softly.

Twenty minutes later, Sam leaves the cabin with two plates balanced along his arm and napkins and utensils in his free hand. "Thought it'd be nice to sit outside, if that's cool with you," he calls out to Gabriel.

It takes a moment to pull him from his work but when he does look up he flies out of his chair to help Sam. He takes the plates and sets them onto the table seperating the built in cushioned seats.

"Looks like you waited a few tables in your day," Gabriel comments as they each take a seat.

"During college I did. Tended bar as well."

"I bet you made a killing in tips."

"I didn't do too bad." Sam feels his face grow warm and he hopes Gabriel doesn't notice. No such luck.

His face splits into a grin around a mouthful of omelet, "There it is. I think I need to make a game out of how often I can make you blush, it's quickly becoming one of my favorite things to see."

"Jeez, I haven't blushed this often since my first crush in the third grade."

Gabriel wags his eyebrows up and down, "And what was this crush's name?"

"Jessica."

"A girl? How dissapointing, here I thought for sure you-"

"No, you thought right. I mean, I don't have a preference. I guess you could say I was a late bloomer. It wasn't until college when Max came along and I skipped right over crush straight into infatuation."

"To be clear, I don't have a preference either, at least I didn't think I did until you came along." He ignores Sam as he chokes on a piece of egg. "Max, huh? What happened to Max? Clearly there was something wrong with him to walk away from you."

Sam takes a drink of coffee then shivers a little as he remembers, what seemed like, miles of smooth cocoa skin under his hands and piercing hazel eyes that changed with every mood.

Yes, Max was beautiful and sweet but his memory isn't what's causing Sam's heart rate to spike right now. It isn't the thought of kissing Max that makes it difficult for Sam to swallow the last of his breakfast.

He clears his throat and pops up from his seat and points to Gabriel's half empty mug, "Can I freshen that up for you?" Instead of waiting for a reply, Sam all but runs into the cabin.

Bracing his hands on the counter, he pulls in a few cleansing breaths  _Get your shit together, Winchester._ Stop imagining how the smoked whiskey would look to be overtaken by a pupil blown with lust. Don't think about what it would feel like to fill your wide hands with his perfectly round ass. Push away that image of the way his upper lip looks as it curls up in that teasing manner. And dear God don't even begin to think about what it would feel like to be completely filled by that-

"Sam? Everything okay?" Gabriel calls from outside.

"Whoo, come on you can do this. He doesn't need you panting over him," Sam mutters under his breath. He grabs the coffee pot and box of sugar and calls out, "Sorry. Be right there. I just, uh, spilled and I'm cleaning it up." He really hates lying.

"Sorry, I can be kind of a klutz," he tells him once he's outside again. He fills their cups and sits back down.

"You were telling me about this Max," Gabriel reminds him as he dumps two packets of sugar into his coffee.

"Not much to tell, I learned a lot from him. Maybe some day I can elaborate on that," he smirks as Gabriel chokes on his coffee but continues as if he'd just told him the sky is blue. Two can play that game. "We graduated and he moved back home."

"You have someone back home now?"

"No. I haven't been with anyone in quite some time. My last relationship was good, Sarah and I seemed to be hitting it off but it just wasn't meant to be," Sam shrugs in an attempt to prove how far in the past she is to him. "My work can be a lot to handle sometimes. I'm not good at turning it off at the end of the day and it tends to build and after awhile, I think, it's hard for people to be around me. I can be a bit much if you know what I mean."

"I can only imagine some of the shit you've seen."

"It can be down right awful but most of the time, it's rewarding. It's a great feeling knowing you're capable of helping people. Compared to what my brother has seen though, it's not so bad. He's a cop."

"You've all made it your family business, haven't you?"

"What do you mean?"

Gabriel flicks out his fingers with each comment. "Father was a firefighter, brother's a cop, you're an EMT and now you can add deep sea rescue diver. Saving people is your family business."

Sam lets out a light chuckle as he picks up their dishes, "I never thought of it that way. Finish your coffee, I'm gonna start packing up so we can pull anchor up."

Sam shuts himself in the tiny closet of a bathroom and wishes he could take a ice cold shower but he hasn't been able to fit into the narrow stall since he was fifteen. After using the toilet, he washes his hands, splashes the coldest water on his face than brushes his teeth. _You can do this, just a couple more hours and we'll be home_. He figures once they're home, Gabriel will be thinking more clearly and know that whatever is happening now is just a by product of the emotional situation.

Now if only Sam could convince himself of this.

Sam tidies up the galley by cleaning the dishes and packaging any food not in cans in sealed plastic containers. After folding Gabriel's bedding he certainly did _not_ press his face to his pillow before throwing it back onto his bed because _that_ would be weird.

With the cushion pushed back up into a sitting bench and the table up on its pole, Sam heads out to the deck to find Gabriel climbing back onto the boat.

"Chairs are all put away, secured under the rock. Same with the fire pit. Is there anything else you have hidden out here on Brigadoon island? Perhaps a transporter to get us home quicker?"

"Trekkie fan?"

Gabriel holds his hands out to his side as if to say, "Who isn't?"

Sam squints from the sun but answers around a wide grin, "No, not yet anyway, still working on that one. We still have a two hour trip if we push it. Three if we take our time."

Gabriel slowly walks to Sam, looking like he may devour him. He doesn't stop until they're toe to toe. "I'm in no rush."

"I think you need to give your body a rest from the sun," Sam tells him gently as he looks over the red tone of his face and the fading blisters on his lips.

"Always looking out for me, ain't you, Sam?"

Sam's hand is halfway to Gabriel's face before he catches himself and sets it on his shoulder but his eyes remain fixed on the strand of hair he so desperately wants to brush away. "It appears someone needs to and I'm all too happy to do it."

"Hmm, well," Gabriel sighs out as he shuffles another inch closer and Sam's shadow falls over his face. "You know, I was really hoping to give you the full five stars on my Yelp review of your little tour guide service."

Sam's lips twitch, wondering where this is going.

"The rescue service is the best I've ever seen, the CPR package was definitely worth the upcharge, the evening hospitality and dining services were both supurb but..."

Sam waits a beat before playing along, "Please, Sir, here at Winchester Cruises we strive to deliver only the best. I'm unable to improve if I don't know what my...services....are lacking." He knows he shouldn't be flirting but Gabriel's teasing is infectious not to mention those eyes that look like melted caramel in the sunlight have him locked in place. He's so gone on this man and he doesn't even know his last name.

Gabriel makes a clicking noise with his mouth then lets a finger trail up Sam's bare arm until it slips under the sleeve of his t-shirt. "I never received that mint on my pillow I was promised. But, you still have time to redeem yourself and earn that fifth star."

Sam's unaware he's leaning closer towards Gabriel, bending at the waist ever so slightly, "Tell me how. I can't have _four_ stars."

Gabriel's eyes dart between Sam's for several seconds, "I think maybe one of those little chocolate candies would probably be a sufficient substitute. You know the ones that're wrapped in silver foil?"

This last sentence is spoken in nearly a whisper but it blows away what remains of Sam's resolve as if it'd been blasted through a fog horn. His hand leaves Gabriel's shoulder and slides up the back of his neck, his skin is hot from his burn. His eyes slip closed for only a moment as he tries one last time to fight-

Gabriel cuts his train of thought off when he speaks, "Guess I"m not making myself clear enough."

Sam opens his eyes just as Gabriel reaches a hand up and cups the back of his head seconds before pulling him down toward his parting lips. Despite the force at which Gabriel is pulling Sam towards him, their lips meet softly, yielding freely to the other.

Sam's hand slips off Gabriel's neck and down his back as he pulls him closer, humming as he licks into Gabriel's waiting mouth. His brain sputters as the taste of coffee and _Gabriel_ sweeps across his taste buds. Their tongues are hot and wet as they slide together. He sucks briefly at Gabriel's tongue before relinquishing it when he remembers that pouty lip.

Sam flicks the tip of his tongue over his lip then pulls it between his front teeth. Despite the blisters, he lets his teeth graze over his skin then soothes the sting with a swipe of his tongue before diving back into the deep cavern of his mouth. For several seconds, that feels closer to a life time and yet not nearly enough time, tongues swirl, throats hum and hands skim over shoulders and back.

Sam breaks the kiss off with a moan as he feels a hand slide over his ass. He drops his forehead to Gabriel's and closes his eyes. The bright white star burts behind his lids are fading as Gabriel speaks, his breath hot against Sam's mouth.

"Congratulations, I think you may have just earned five stars."

"I think I can do better," he's nearly panting but not quite. Maybe gasping slightly, but only slightly.

"I have no doubt," Gabriel tells him firmly.

"We should, uh," Sam leans down and presses another closed mouth kiss onto Gabriel's lips, "God, you taste good. Yeah, we should go."

Despite Gabriel's cry of protest, Sam forces his feet to walk away from Gabriel. He runs through his check list of things to do before untying the boat and climbing aboard.

Gabriel is standing in the middle of the deck, looking off into the opposite direction of home. His arms are wrapped around his body and he startles when Sam approaches him from behind and bends to speak soflty into his ear. "I'm sorry, didn't mean to surprise you." He bites off the words asking if he's okay and instead asks, "You ready to push off?"

"Guess so. Mind if I sit up with you?"

Mind? Sam is relieved he wants to be near him. "I was hoping you would," he confesses with a kiss to Gabriel's cheek. He feels like the flood gates have been opened and he's no longer able to hold back touching him even though he should really try. He just doesn't want to.

Gabriel grabs the colored pencils and notebook then joins Sam on the Fly deck as he waits for the anchor to pull up. 

"Nice meeting you, Brigadoon. Maybe I'll catch ya round the next 100 years," Gabriel calls to the island as Sam pulls away.

 

 

The first hour passes quickly as Sam navigates and Gabriel's works on his sketch. Sam is curious but he keeps his eyes averted. They do share several glances between them, exchange a few quick pecks and maybe Sam's hand finds its way to rest on Gabriel's thigh.

As Sam makes a course correction, Gabriel sighs heavily, closes the notebook and tosses it onto the table.

"What's up?"

Gabriel shrugs and does a poor job of hiding the flicker of sadness that passes over his face. It's there and gone but Sam sees it all the same.

"Gabe? Sorry, Gabriel," Sam corrects when Gabriel's neck swivels quickly toward him.

"Gabe's fine, Sam. I just like the way my full name sounds on your voice."

"Oh!" Sam was certainly not expecting that. "Well, _Gabriel_ , mind telling me what's on your mind?"

 "Honestly?" Gabriel won't look at Sam.

 "Of course."

 It takes him a moment but he finally admits, "I'm not ready for this to be over with."

 Sam pulls the handle down to slow the boat to a crawl, "Who said it needs to be over?"

 "Come on, Sam, you have a life waiting for you up ahead, you don't need my baggage, because believe me, I've got a ton."

 "You couldn't be more wrong. We all have baggage, Gabriel. Want to know why I was out here?"

 "I do but only if you want to tell me."

Sam pushes his sunglasses to the top of his head and drops his forehead to the backs of his hands where they hang off the steering wheel. Images are flashing in front of him and he can already feel the tears burning behind his lids. He's never told his story of that night to anyone, despite Castiel's insistance he speak to someone. He doesn't know if he'll be able to but, with Gabriel, he wants to try.

"Six months ago, my ride along partner and I were on our way back to the bay when we received another call. Car accident. It was only a block from where we were so we accepted the call." Now he lifts his head but he isn't able to look at Gabriel, not yet anyway. Focusing on the small white caps in the distance he pushes forward.

"We arrived just as the fire rescue rig pulled up. From the job call, we knew it was car versus pick-up truck. From where we were parked, all that was visible to us was the pick-up, it had t-boned the car in the intersection. They think the driver had fallen asleep at the wheel. I got out to grab our gear while my partner, Benny, ran to meet up with the officer already on the scene. I was rounding the rig when Benny ran at me. It was just starting to mist and he wasn't wearing a hat, he usually wears this old fisherman's cap I love teasing him about it. Anyway, he didn't have his hat on so his lashes were wet," Sam breaks off to glance at Gabriel before looking back out to sea, "isn't it weird what your brain remembers?" He knows he's stalling, thinking about Benny's ratty old hat.

"I remember he grabbed my forearms and he was speaking but it was like he was speaking underwater because that's when I saw the car involved in the crash. I knew that car better than I knew my own. The hours I'd spent in the big back seat with my brother." His voice breaks and he drops his head back down, he almost has himself under control but then Gabriel's warm hand appears on his back and he lets out a sob. Just one and he's able to breathe again.

He wipes his face on his hand then lifts his head again. "I pushed Benny aside and ran to my parent's car. My Dad's arm was hanging out the broken window, blood was dripping from his fingers. I couldn't see his face, he was turned away as if he was," he clears his throat, "as if he were looking at my Mom. I could tell by the angle of his neck he was gone."

"I ran to the other side and I think I yelled at the rescue worker that was stepping away, shaking his head. I think I told him to get his ass back to work. I leaned in the window because the fucking door wouldn't open but I knew, I knew she was gone too. A shard of glass from the windshield had impaled her neck.

I had _just_ talked to them. They were at Cas and Dean's for dinner and they called to say Hi while I was between calls. I had just talked to them less than an hour before and then they were just...fucking gone, Gabriel!

It's been six months and I still catch myself wondering what Mom is going to cook for our weekly Sunday dinners together. Six months and I still pick up my phone to call my Dad when I've had a good day at work."

Gabriel removes Sam's hands from the steering wheel and holds them both in his, turning Sam's chair with a bump of his knees. "I'm so sorry you had to see that," he tells him quietly as he kisses his hands.

The tears are running down Sam's face now but he ignores them as he looks down at their intertwined hands and it gives him a small amount of comfort, "Benny came with me but I insisted on being the one to tell my brothers. Thankfully, my niece was already asleep and she didn't have to see her Dads upset, at least not then anyway. She's, uh, only six and she just doesn't understand why Grandma and Grandpa aren't around anymore. The fuck of it all is, neither does her uncle."

He can't do it anymore. The wide cracks that have been spreading through his weak dam finally break open and he sobs as Gabriel pulls him into his arms. He turns his face into the crook of his neck and clutches at the back of his shirt. He remembers the shirt had once belonged to his Dad and it makes him cry harder.

Minutes tick by as Sam feels himself grow exhausted. Even though he's been surrounded by family and friends, this is the first time since losing his parents that Sam hasn't felt complely alone. 

In this moment, with Gabriel's arms holding his shattered pieces together, he feels like there may be hope for him to learn to live his life. He'll never get over losing them but, maybe, he'll be able to learn to live it differently. 

"I'm sorry," Sam mutters as he wipes his face onto his arm, "I didn't mean to fall apart on you like that. As I told you before, I'm not great with dealing with...stuff."

Gabriel runs his fingers through Sam's hair until his hand comes around to rest along his jaw, "Not that I'm one to talk but I think you're off to a good start."

"Yeah, maybe. Listen, Gabriel," he tells him as he reaches a hand up to grasp Gabriel's wrist, "my point to this shit storm is I have my own baggage but I don't want to see you leave. I know it's fucking ridiculous because I've known you less then 24 hours, no I can't even say I know you, but I don't want to say goodbye."

He opens his mouth to say more only to have his breath stolen from him as Gabriel rushes forward to kiss him. He willingly allows him access and moans when he gets another taste of Gabriel's tongue. His hands grip tight to Gabriel's short hair as he feels his hips moving forward in his seat. He wishes there was enough room to climb into Gabriel's lap.

"New plan," Gabriel pants as he pulls out of their kiss. He sucks in a deep breath and puts distance from them. "First, I think I need a cold shower, my mind is all a buzz with the things I want to do to you."

"I'm not about to stop you."

He lets out a low grunt then leans further away but doesn't let go of Sam's hands, "New plan," he repeats, "we get off this damn salty pond cause, frankly, I'm tired of it, then you take me back to your place. I know I"m being chicken but I'm not ready to deal with my own shit storm of emotion threatening to surface."

"Hey," Sam leans forward and gives him a chaste kiss, "I promise to be there with you when you're ready. No matter what. You hear me?" He places his face inches from Gabriel and waits for him to make eye contact. "Hear me?"

His answer is barely audible but it's there, "Yeah, I hear ya."

"Good. Now enough with the blubbering," he winks at him, pushes the accelerator lever up then lets his hand drop to link with Gabriel's, "lets go home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm such a failure with slow burn.


	3. Chapter 3

Sam slides the _Proud Mary_ into her berth, kills the engine and drops the anchor. Gabriel climbs onto the dock and accepts the bin of items unable to be left on board and Sam joins him seconds later with a backpack slung over his shoulder.

“Let me take that, I’m sure your muscles are still sore.”

“I’m good, just lead the way, Big Guy,” he smiles up at Sam but it doesn’t appear happy to Sam.

He wraps his arm around Gabriel’s shoulder, kisses his temple and together they walk towards the parking lot. His arm doesn’t drop until they reach a beat up looking Chevy pick-up truck.

“This can’t be yours. You got a hole in the bottom like Fred Flinstone? There’s no way you fit into this cab! This I gotta see!” The genuine smirk on Gabriel’s face loosens the knot in Sam’s stomach, not enough to unravel it but enough to allow him to breathe a little easier. That knot comes very close to unraveling when Sam throws his bag in the bed, unlocks his door and folds his legs in under the steering wheel because Gabriel lets out a hearty belly laugh, nearly dropping the bin in his hands.

Sam slams his door and rolls down his window. A ball of sunshine steadily grows larger in the middle of Sam’s chest the longer he watches Gabriel’s face. “You done?” he asks around a wide grin.

“No, but I don’t want you to leave me behind,” he throws the bin in the back and walks around to the passenger side. Sam remains leaning over the middle after unlocking his door, moving only enough to give Gabriel room to sit.

“You know I would never do that, right?” Sam asks him with complete sincerity.

The smile fades from Gabriel’s face as he looks down into Sam’s eyes, “Do what? Oh!” he cries softly when understanding dawns on him. “Yeah,” he says after a moment, “yeah, I think I do know that.”

Sam straightens up without breaking eye contact, “Good. I’m going to ask one more time then I promise to at least _try_ to leave it alone. Are you _sure_ you don’t want me to take you to Pasadena? It’s only a two hour drive from here.”

Gabriel looks out the windshield as he answers, “No, if you’ll have me I want to go with you. But Sam,” he turns to look at Sam, “you don’t know anything about me. If you’d rather take me to the bus station I’d completely understand.”

“Fuck that,” Sam tells him as he turns the key in the ignition. “I already told you I want you to come with me,” he pulls out of the parking lot and into the flow of traffic, “I just wanted you to know you've the option and also, in case it wasn’t clear, I would stay with you as long as you wanted or needed me to.”

“Don’t you have work to get to?”

Sam scratches at his neck more out of a nervous habit then because of an itch. What he doesn’t see is the way Gabriel’s eyes track his long, slender fingers and his adam's apple bobs as he swallows. “No, not currently.” His hand drops to the seat between them and his fingers begin to tap as he speaks, “After the accident I only took a few days off, I thought maybe going back would be a good distraction. And it was,” he glances at Gabriel then back at the road, “until the first call came in on an automobile accident.”

He pauses as Gabriel pulls in a sharp intake of air. “Benny tried to tell dispatch to call another rig in but I insisted I could handle it. It turned out to be a pretty minor accident, just a fender bender but the passenger in the car that got hit, she, uh she had blonde hair and her forehead was bleeding where it’d smacked against her window.”

Sam looks down at his hand when he feels warmth and wonders how long ago Gabriel had put his hand there. He slowly twists his wrist then squeezes tight around his fingers when they interlace. It’s enough to push him forward. “I don’t even remember what happened after that. I saw blonde hair and blood but it wasn’t the young girl in the seat I was seeing. I froze or blacked out, I don't know. What I do know is, I let my patients down and I let my partner down out there. I thank God it wasn’t anything serious.”

“Sam-”

“No, Gabe, I did,” Sam cuts him off with a firm shake of his head. “I shouldn’t have been out there. I’ve been working dispatch since that day. I miss working side by side with Benny but it was the right move. I still see him between calls and talk to him on the radio.”

“You think you’ll get back out there?”

“I think so, soon maybe. I dunno, I have time banked so I took this whole month off. Thought maybe some time on the water would help to clear my head a little more. Guess I was right,” Sam lifts their joined hands and kisses the back of Gabriel’s.

Sam lets go of his hand and runs it through his hair as he clears his throat, “You don’t want to hear me blather on anymore, how about some music? Any preference?” he asks as he turns the knob.

_In other news, the son of publishing tycoon Cain Mil-_

Gabriel turns the knob again, cutting off the broadcaster, “You’re wrong, I’d much rather hear you talk. Tell me more about your family. Have you told your brother about the big fish you caught?”

Sam takes his hand again and rests them on his thigh as he laughs softly, “No I didn’t. I let him know I was back and I’d call him tomorrow. What is there to tell you? You know he’s a cop, actually a detective. His husband, Castiel, is the head of the Children's Library in the suburb of San Diego that we all live in.”

“The cop and the librarian, sounds like a cheesy romance novel.”

Sam snorts, “You may be onto something there. You write? Could be a bestseller.” He smiles at Gabriel before continuing, “They’ve been married for six years. Kaia, my niece, had just turned two when they were able to adopt her. Before that, they’d been her foster parents since the age of six months.”

“That something you want, Sam?”

“What? Kids?”

“Kids, the white picket fence, the ring on your finger, any of it.”

“I honestly don’t know. I know how much I love being an uncle but I’ve never really thought about being a Dad. Probably because I’ve never met anyone whom I could see myself living that kind of life with.” Internally he adds the words “not until now anyway,” but he knows that’s a completely insane thought. “Never say never, I guess. What about you? Are you a love ‘em and leave ‘em kind of guy, Gabe?”

“That’s the reputation I seem to have. To be honest I don’t know what that kind of life looks like. My mom died when I was two and my Dad worked a lot.”

“I’m sorry, that’s rough.”

“I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I had an awful upbringing. He did the best he could, attended most of my baseball games, was around for holidays but,” he waves a hand in the air, “I shouldn’t complain.”

“What about your brother?”

“His mother died of a drug overdose when he was an infant. Dad raised him on his own until he met my mom.”

“Ah, so that’s why the two of you don’t get along. He was jealous.”

“Maybe,” he mutters as he looks out the window.

Sam lets the silence ride for several miles before asking, “What’re you hungry for? We have another 10 minutes before we get to my place. You want to stop somewhere or we can have something delivered.”

“I don’t think I'm up to being around a lot of people.”

“Neither am I, delivery it is.” What Sam doesn’t mention is the fact he doesn’t want to _share_ Gabriel with anyone.

Ten minutes later, as predicted, Sam's pulling into the driveway of a small ranch style house. “You own or rent?”

“Own.”

“Hm, nice,” Gabriel tells him with a nod of his head as he climbs out of the truck.

“Oh shit!”

Gabriel spins on his heel, clearly alarmed, “What?”

Sam slaps his forehead, “We should’ve stopped to get you some clothes!”

Gabriel laughs, “Clearly I didn’t think of that either, guess I’ll just have to go nude,” he tells Sam matter of factly as he pulls the bin from the bed of the truck.

Not that Sam would protest but, “I’ll throw your stuff in the wash and I’ll give you some shorts.”

“Or I could just go nude,” he repeats as he follows Sam through the front door.

“Your perogitive, but I can’t promise I’ll be a polite host.”

“I’m counting on it,” the moment they both clear the threshold, Gabriel drops the rubbermaid bin and pins Sam to the back of the door.

Sam’s knees bend and slot between Gabriel’s as Gabriels hands fist in his hair but he stops right before their lips meet, throwing the ball in Sam’s court.

Sam doesn’t even give it a second thought, he dives forward, mouth open and slides his tongue into Gabriel’s mouth and sucks at his tongue. His hands slide down Gabriel’s back until they reach his ass, he pulls him forward until their half hard cocks rub together.

“Holy shit, you’re tall,” Gabriel gasps as he pushes to his toes in order to better align them.

“Holy shit you talk too much,” Sam tells him as he devours his mouth again and grinds down against him.

Gabriel bites at Sam’s lower lip then inhales sharply through his nose as he takes a step back, “Not sure where that came from but uh-,”

“Yeah,” Sam says on an whoosh of air, “yeah, uh how about we order dinner and I show you around the house?”

“I just need a sec.”

“Good call, kitchen’s through there,” Sam points ahead and to the right, “I’ll just be...yeah,” he lets his words fall away as he walks to the kitchen.

Sam’s hands shake slightly as he pulls a glass from the cupboard and fills it with tap water. He drinks it down in one go. He’s out of sorts and he doesn’t know which way is the right way. He knows the way he _wants_ to go but he isn’t entirely sure it’s the _right_ way.

He knows he trusts Gabriel. He knows he feels something for him he’s never experienced before. Despite knowing hardly anything about him, he feels like he _knows_ him. What if he’s acting as a distraction? Not in the sense that the way he’s been acting with and towards Sam isn’t anything but genuine, Sam doesn’t think that at all. But what if he’s running towards him because he’s running _from_ something or someone else?

Sam wants to be able to catch Gabriel but then turn him around and meet whatever he’s running from. Face it together. His biggest fear is, if he doesn't face what's behind him, he’ll eventually keep running and he doesn’t think he could handle losing him.

“Sam?”

“Hmm? Yeah, sorry, lost in thought, uh let me grab the menus.” He pulls his fixed gaze from the window over the sink, reaches into a drawer to his left, pulls out a stack of flyers and pamphlets and tosses them onto the counter above the drawer. They come to rest directly in front of Gabriel where his stomach meets the counter. “Guest’s choice.”

While he hunts through the menus, Sam retrieves his back pack from the living room, “I’m gonna throw a load of laundry in, be right back,’ he waits for Gabriel to nod before heading down the hallway to the right of the front door. He passes the bathroom on his left, the guest room on the right, his room on the left and opens the closet at the end of the hall. Inside is a stacked washer and dryer and a vertical set of shelves for linens and cleaning supplies.

He tosses in all his clothes including the polo shirt Gabriel was wearing when Sam found him. His cargo shorts are heavy, and after a brief hesitation, he searches the pockets. He pulls out a cell phone already starting to corrode from the salt and a worn, brown leather wallet. He throws the shorts in and adds the detergent before giving the dial a spin.

Back in the kitchen, Gabriel is perched on one of the breakfast bar stools, looking out the patio door to his left.

“Hey, I uh, pulled these from your shorts, I hope you don’t mind.” Sam sets the phone and wallet down onto the counter and takes a seat next to him.

“You have my permission to go through my shorts any time you feel the urge, Sammy. Sorry it just kind of slipped out,” he says when Sam winces, “I tend to be inappropriate at times, or rather all the time. I warned you you may not like me once you get to know me.”

“No!” Sam’s hand goes to the back of Gabriel’s neck, “It’s not that, it’s just you called me Sammy. Dean, he calls me that and it just feels weird to have the person I’ve been intimate with call me that.”

“Intimate? Geez Sam, maybe you should be writing that romance novel we talked about.”

“Shut it,” Sam tells him with a playful shove to his shoulder, grateful the tension has passed. “So what'd ya come up with?”

Gabriel slides a menu over, “Chinese work for you?”

“I’m not picky,” he stands and drapes his body over the counter and pulls open the same drawer from which he’d pulled the menus.

“Careful there, Sam, I think you already know I have a weak resolve.”

Sam pauses in his hunt for a pen and looks over his shoulder, “Surely I don’t know what you mean,” he returns his attention to the drawer and shakes his hips. Even though he expects it, no that’s not right, he hopes for it, he still yelps when Gabriel pinches his ass.

He returns to the stool and drops the pen in front of Gabriel. “Circle what you want and I’ll call it in.”

He picks up the pen and quickly makes a few notations, “Good thing,” he says as he lays the pen down and grabs his phone, “cause I’m not getting a signal.”

Sam snorts and with a downward turn of his mouth, Gabriel drops the phone into the trashcan at his feet. “But hey, good news,” he picks up his wallet, opens it and pulls out a wet twenty dollar bill, “dinner’s on me.”

“Why don’t you cover breakfast?” he tells him as he pushes the money back, “I don’t have any groceries in the house and they have my credit card on file.”

“Deal.”

“At least your wallet was on you when you, uh-”

“Went for a swim?” Gabriel supplies as he begins to lay out the contents of the still damp wallet to dry. “I guess that’s a good thing. Wouldn’t want to get my statement later and see a bunch of charges at the _Home Depot Of Boat Hijackers."_

Sam can’t help but admire the way Gabriel never beats around the bush, how he's never afraid to address the elephant in the room. Sam tries not to look at the items layed out but his eyes are drawn to Gabriel’s driver’s license.

“Milton.”

“What?” Sam asks as his eyes snap up to meet Gabriel’s.

“My last name is Milton.” He watches Sam’s face intently as if he’s expecting some kind of reaction.

One more puzzle piece added to this mystery man Sam can’t seem to get enough of, “It’s nice to meet you, Gabriel Milton,” Sam tells him with a hand held out.

“Get the fuck outta here with that,” Gabriel grins as he slaps Sam’s hand away and leans over to kiss him. “God damn, you taste good.”

“Not so bad yourself,” he kisses the tip of Gabriel’s nose then pulls out his cell phone. “Give me a minute to order.”

“Hey, you mind if I shower?”

“Of course not. I’ll call this in then get you all set up.”

The food’s been ordered and Gabriel’s in the shower with a pair of Sam’s shorts and a t-shirt of Dean’s he found in his closet. He’s trying with all his might not to think about him slipping on those shorts and decides he’s in need of a shower as well. A very cold shower.

The plates are out, along with utensils and napkins when Gabriel emerges from the hall. He’s pulling the shirt over his wet head and Sam bites back an actual whimper. Yup, cold shower. So very cold.

“I’m going to jump in now. Food should be here any minute, tips already been taken care of. Don’t worry about waiting for me. Just make yourself at home, raid the fridge and find something on the tv.”

Sam’s so flustered by his own need to repress, he doesn’t notice right away how vacant Gabriel’s eyes appear as he stands in the middle of the living room.

“Gabriel?” Nothing. “Gabriel?” Sam approaches slowly and places his hands on each of Gabriel’s shoulders. “Gabe?”

“Hey! Yeah, sure, tip, fridge got it. Sorry.” He plasters a smile on his face that’s clearly fake. “Really, I’m good. Just hurry back or I’ll be forced to join you.” He reaches up and plants a quick kiss to Sam’s mouth.

Sam lets out a groan, “You’re killing me, you know that right?”

Against his better judgement, Sam leaves for the shower. He wants to know what put that look on his face. He seemed so lost and out of sorts. Like he just woke up and he has no idea where he is. Does he know more than he’s letting on or was he really just a victim of a random crime? Was he remembering his time out there alone? Bobbing along, baking in the sun, knowing his head was bleeding which made him a beacon to what swam below.

Sam tries to put himself in that place as he scrubs four days of sand out of his own hair and he can’t do it. The thought is unimaginable. This isn’t like that heartbreaking movie Dean made him watch, what was that? As the water cascades down his face he remembers, _Open Water._ This really happened to a person he’s grown to care about, he hadn’t been floating in some giant tank.

Is it that or is he afraid for what may come next? Sam shuts the water off as he recalls his earlier thoughts. What if he’s worried or scared to let his family know he’s alive and safe? He dries off quickly and throws on his clothes, suddenly feeling the need to be with Gabriel again.

The smell of steamed dim sum hits his nose as he walks into the living room. “Nothing better than walking into a room to find your food waiting for you.” An image of Gabriel fresh from the shower, towel barely hanging from his hips flashes before his eyes, “well almost,” he adds as he grabs an eggroll.

“You’re blushing, share with the class Mr. Winchester.”

“Un no, I plead the fifth. Is there anything decent in the fridge to drink? I don’t remember what’s in there.”

“Water and half a bottle of pomegranate juice. So, decent? No. How can you drink that stuff? It’s like licking a cherry pit. Yuck.”

“So water then?” Sam chuckles as he grabs two bottles from the fridge and sits next to Gabriel at the kitchen table.

For several minutes they eat in silence. Sam doesn’t even bat an eye when Gabriel’s fork spears a stripe of beef and broccoli from his plate, he even turns it so he can reach the pool of garlic sauce to run it through. His stomach flips when he offers Sam the last dumpling but instead of eating it, he pinches it between his thumb and index finger and holds it out in front of Gabriel’s mouth. A small fire begins to burn in his gut as he watches it disappears past his teeth.

As he chews his eyes drop away from Sam’s face and the fire goes out. “Talk to me, Gabriel.” Sam reaches past the empty plates and half empty take out cartons and grasps at Gabriel’s finger tips. “I want to help but I don’t want to force you into thinking about or talking about anything you don’t want to get into.”

On an exhale, Gabriel lets out a humorless laugh, “Honestly, Sam I don’t know what the fuck is going on. Two days ago I wanted to take a break, I’ve some decisions I need to make and I wanted to really think about it. My brother reminded I haven’t been out on the water in awhile so I hired a guy cause I know how to drive the thing but I’m not crazy about doing it. So I hired this guy, we go out and, and you know the rest.” He pulls his hand from Sam's grasp, leans his elbows on the table and covers his face, “I don’t know what my next move should be becasue I don’t fucking know who I can trust anymore.”

Instead of wrapping his arms around Gabriel like his head is screaming at him to do, he opens up the cupboard above the fridge and grabs a bottle and two shot glasses. He moves aside what remains of dinner and sets the bottle and glasses onto the table.

Now he does give in and drapes his arm over Gabriel’s shoulder, bringing his mouth close to his ear he tells him, “You can trust me. Now, I don’t normally encourage this type of band aide, in fact I actively discourage it, but I feel it may be appropriate at this current time.” Gabriel lifts his head up slowly and picks up the bottle, his thumb nail picks at the corner of the Jack Daniels label. “I’m also more than happy to sit on the couch with you and veg out with movies. Or talk. Whatever you want to do, I’m here for you. You helped me yesterday more than you’ll ever realize and I want to return the favor.”

Sam doesn’t move, just waits as Gabriel thinks. It doesn’t take long for him to make a decision. He unscrews the cap and fills both shot glasses. Sam lays a kiss on Gabriel’s temple then moves to the seat next to him. They clink glasses then swallow the amber contents down.

Sam lets out a gasp and Gabriel slams his shot glass down, “That shits awful.”

“But effective,” Sam tells him as he refills them. “I hardly ever drink, the only reason I have this is cause my Dad,” he pauses to slam the glass back then holds it up in silent salute to his dad, “and Dean drank it when they’d come over to play poker.”

“I should warn you,” Sam tells him as he puts the rest of the food in the fridge, “I’m a lightweight since I don’t drink.”

“How old are you anyway, Sam?”

“Just turned twenty-six. You?”

“Twenty-eight. I don’t drink much anymore either,” he follows Sam into the living room, not bothering to bring the glasses, choosing to drink straight from the bottle, and they drop onto the couch together. He lets out a bark of laughter, “That’s one thing Lucifer and I used to have in common. We both liked to party in our younger days.”

Sam chokes as Gabriel’s words sink in, “P-Pardon me? Did you say Lucifer?”

“Oh shit, I did call him that didn’t I? That’s my brother’s name, I did tell you his mother was a drug addict, didn’t I? He prefers to be called Luci but when I want to fuck with him I call him by his full name and it makes him livid.”

“Can’t say I blame him,” Sam takes another swig then hands the bottle back to Gabriel, feeling a bit braver Sam asks, “So what do you do for a living?”

“Nothing good. Mostly I’m a peon for my father. He wants me to take over his company when he’s ready to retire but I have no desire to do so.”

“Does he know this?”

“No, he’s just always kind of assumed I’d want to.”

“What do you want to do?”

“Hell if I know. Hey!” he cries as his face lights up, “I want to show you something while I have this liquid courage in me.”

Before his words have time to process in Sam’s brain, Gabriel is walking, well more like stumbling, towards Sam’s backpack. He pulls out the notebook he’s been sketching in and that small fire returns to Sam's gut.

Sam watches intently from his spot on the couch as Gabriel flips through the pages, then hands the book over. Sam’s breath catches as Gabriel drops back down onto the couch beside him “ ‘S not the greatest but it’s okay, I think. I couldn’t get your eyes right. Don’t think I could ever capture how beautiful they are or how they fucking pull me right in.”

Sam’s hardly paying any attention to Gabriel’s slurred words, the art in his hands has given him tunnel vision. The barebones are done in ink but the shading and color are all done in pencil. He swears he’s looking at a photograph of himself, shown in profile as he steers the boat. “Gabriel, I can’t even..this is amazing.” His fingers run over the paper and he almost expects to feel his hair under the pads of his fingers.

“There’s another one there if you want…”

Sam takes a few more seconds to soak in the details before turning the page. The next drawing brings tears to Sam’s eyes and their spilling down his cheeks even as his hand comes up to cover his mouth.

“Oh Sam, ‘m sorry, maybe I shouldn’t have-”

“No!” he cries and pushes Gabriel’s hand away as he tries to pull the notebook from him. “How? You did this from memory?”

“Yeah, I kind of have a, whadya call it,” he snaps his fingers, “a photographic memory.”

Before he knows what he’s doing, Sam is laying a kiss over the sketch. Again, he’s running his fingers over the paper. Just like in the photograph that hangs in the cabin of the boat, the drawing shows Sam with his Dad, Castiel and Dean as they stand on the stern deck of the _Proud Mary._ The difference here is, under his Dad’s arm stands his Mom looking happy and laughing. Her face is turned, as if in conversation, towards Gabriel, who stands under Sam’s arm looking just as happy.

“I can almost hear her laugh,” he gasps. “How did you know what she looked like?”

Gabriel reaches over and pulls a photo stuck further back in the notebook. “This is from when they were younger then we are now, how did you make her look so exactly like...” he can’t even finish as he’s pulled back into the sketch.

He shrugs one shoulder and says, “I just looked at you now and went from there.”

“This is amazing, I can’t even put into words what this makes me _feel_. Jesus, you know what you'd be really good at? One of those police sketch artists. Dean’s always complaining how the artists they employ are never good enough.”

“When I was younger, sometimes my Dad would let me go with him to work. You know how before they used to let reporters into the courtroom with cameras, they would draw the people on the witness stand?”

“I do.”

“That’s what I always wanted to do. I would go with my Dad and sit in the courtrooms and draw the people I saw. He, uh, even used one of them once.”

Before Sam’s able to ask what that means, Gabriel is speaking again, “I left some space there next to Castiel because I want to add Kaia in there and I hope you don’t mind I added myself. I know it’s a little ballsy, I can easily change it if-”

He stops speaking when Sam drops the closed notebook onto the end table then takes the bottle from his hands and sets it down also. He straddles Gabriel’s lap, boxing his thighs with each bent knee. Next, he grabs a hold of Gabriel’s wrists and pins them to the back of couch. He brings his face close enough for their noses to almost touch, Sam’s hair falls forward to frame his face, “Has anyone ever told you, you talk too much?”

“Yeah,” his voice is raw, “you did.”

Sam lets out a near growl as he allows his weight to press further onto Gabriel’s wrists as he leans down and ravages Gabriel’s mouth. This time, Sam doesn’t hold back. He pours every ounce of desire, attraction and yearning he’s felt for this man since he first looked into his smoked whiskey eyes. His hands slip from his wrists and slide down his arms, across his shoulders and up his neck until they reach his hair.

Gabriel moans into his mouth as he surges forward, slides his hands down the back of Sam’s shorts and pulls their bodies until they’re flush. “Ah, fuck,” Gabriel cries against his lips as Sam grinds down against him.

Sam breaks from Gabriel’s mouth to kiss and bite along his jaw, his stubble scrapes against his kiss swollen lips as he works his way down his neck. Gabriel’s hands slide up Sam’s back then back down to his ass where they massage roughly. “Gabe, your hands, baby, feel so good. Touch me more.” He pulls off his shirt, throws it over his head and dives back in for another kiss while his hands skim down Gabriel’s ribcage.  All the while he rolls his hips, making stars burst behind his eyelids with every brush of friction.

“Sam,” Gabriel pants, “too many clothes, I want to touch you, please.”

He wastes no time standing and dropping his shorts, as soon as they clear his feet he tugs at Gabriel’s waistband. Gabriel lifts his hips enough for Sam to pull them past his knees, as they pool at his ankles he grabs Sam’s hips. He looks up into his face, “Guess I should’ve brought this up earlier but should we be using a rubber?”

Sam squints his eyes as he concentrates on forming full words, “All clean but if you’d rather-” his words end on a low moan as his knees almost buckle because Gabriel’s hot mouth is sliding past his head and sucking down his shaft, “H-holy fuck, your m-mouth, ahh.”

Gabriel lets out a similar moan when Sam fists his hands in Gabriel’s hair and tugs ever so slightly. He looks up through his lashes as he sucks his way back up and flicks his tongue through his slit. Another moan bubbles up through his throat and rides down Sam’s cock. He pulls off with a pop then runs a flat tongue over his balls and up the underside of his shaft, “So fucking big, fuck,” he groans as he swallows him down again. He rolls his balls in the palm of his hand then rubs over his perineum as he works his mouth up and down.

“I’m not going to last if you keep that up, uh,” Sam grunts, “ah, Gabriel, so good.”  He pushes gently at Gabriel’s shoulders until he pulls off. “My turn, I want to taste you.”

He drops to his knees as his hands run up Gabriel’s thighs and grasp at his hips. His mouth waters as he takes in the sight of Gabriel’s thick cock, curled and lying heavy on his heaving stomach. “I swear I’m going to come right now if you keep looking at me like that.”

“Oh no you don’t,” Sam’s slender fingers wrap around his shaft and stroke firmly as he kitten licks around his uncut foreskin. “You taste as good as you smell.” Gabriel’s hip jut forward as Sam strokes down with his hand pulling the skin down as his mouth envelopes his head. With the hand still grasping Gabriel’s hip, he pulls him deeper into his mouth and down his throat. His cock head bumps the back of his throat making him moan at the feeling. He swallows once, twice before pulling back up for air.

He revels in the stretch of his lips and the weight on his tongue as he hollows his cheeks and sucks and swirls his tongue. His eyes slip closed, his nose inhales the heady, musky scent of Gabriel and he hums when Gabriel runs his fingers through his hair, he doesn’t pull just scratches lightly.

Gabriel’s fingertips press in as Sam swallows around his cock head again. “S-Sam, ah, fuck that feels so good but, baby I want, ahhh, huh,” his head snaps back to the back of the couch as his hips rise up. “Sam!”

Sam gets the message and reluctantly pulls off. “What can I do for you?”

“I liked when you were..” he taps the tops of his thighs with his fingertips.

“Really?” Sam had been hesitant about climbing into Gabriel’s lap, “I’m not too big?”

Gabriel pulls at Sam’s shoulders until he stands, “Fuck no, climb aboard.”

Sam pushes the cushions up on either side of Gabriel so he’s able to fully sink down onto Gabriel’s lap. They groan in unison as his weight settles over Gabriel’s thighs and their hard, flushed cocks bump together. Sam’s longer but Gabriel’s thick and Sam wishes he could sink down onto him right now. “What I wouldn’t give to ride you right now,” Sam curses between open mouth kisses to Gabriel’s neck and jaw. As he plunder’s Gabriel’s mouth again, he takes them both in hand and begins to move in firm strokes as his hips rock. On the upstroke, he swipes his palm over both heads and gasps into Gabriel’s mouth as he smears precome down their shafts.

“Oh that’s so good, Sam b-but, you have any-”

Sam takes a parting nip at Gabriel’s lower lip before releasing them and leaning towards the endtable, “I can’t keep lube in here anymore since little hands like to look through drawers but I should have an emergency stash of, ah ha!" he holds up the travel size bottle truimphanly then spueazes a dallop into the palm of his hand.

Gabriel tears his eyes away from Sam’s hands long enough to remove his shirt, “Emergency lotion? And won’t that sting?”

“Hey, no judging, you use what you have available. And you tell me if it stings.” Gabriel’s mouth drops open and his eyes roll to the back of his head as Sam’s slick hand rubs them together. “Thought so,” he comments as he sticks his tongue into Gabriel’s open mouth.

Sam feels as though he’s on fire, he swears he can hear a sizzle over every inch of his skin that Gabriel touches. He never wants to forget what his hands feel like on his body as they caress and squeeze. One moment gentle, the next grabbing almost to the point of bruising and oh God does Sam hope that’s true. Every nerve ending is buzzing, he can feel the sweat trickling down his back and the pull in is balls but he needs more. “Gabe, Gabe will you, can you,” he can’t get the words out so with his left hand he guides Gabriel's hand around his hip, “t-touch me,” he manages to gasp out as his forehead drops to Gabriel’s shoulder.

“Make it wet, Sam,” he instructs and it takes both of them, it seems, a surge of willpower not to come as Sam sucks on Gabriel’s offered finger. He pulls off and pants as Gabriel’s arm reaches around and slides down his crack. “I want to look at this ass Sam, feels so good in my hand, I bet,” Sam lets out a gasp and the rhythm of his stroking falters as he feels the pad of his finger circle his hole, “I bet you taste amazing.”

It takes a sheer will of concentration but he manages to speed up the hand wrapped around their shafts, stroking and twisting at the writs. He cries out loudly and his left catches his weight at the back of the couch as he falls forward when Gabriel breeches his enterance.

“Hmm, so tight Sam,” he gives his finger a slight wiggle, “I’m imagining my cock buried deep in you, f-fuck Sam, ahhh,” his head drops to Sam’s chest and his fingers curl around the curve of his tailbone which gives Sam’s rim a sharp tug.

Sam’s hips speed up as Gabriel meets him thrust for thrust. Gabriel’s the first to fall, his warm cum arches over Sam’s hand and down their joined cocks. The added lubricant is all it takes for Sam to feel his balls pull up and shoot their own release. His hips and hand both slow as his left hand finds its way back in Gabriel’s hair. He pulls their mouths together as they punch out short grunts and share hot breath.

Sam feels every muscle relax as his hand falls away and slides around Gabriel’s waist, they sink together as one into the back of the couch as their tongues slide and their lips are soft. Gabriel's arms wrap around Sam’s chest while his hands splay wide over his shoulder blades.

“Where did you come from, Gabriel Milton? And why did it take me so fucking long to find you?” Sam brushes the damp hair off Gabriel’s forehead as he leans down for another closed mouth kiss.

“Uhh, the Pacific Ocean?” His eyebrows fly up and his lip quakes. “I don’t know, you don’t seem like an underachiever to me,” he replies in answer to Sam’s second question, “But good luck getting rid of my now that you got me. I also admit the lotion was a nice touch, but we’re kind of gross now.” He grabs the shirt he’d been wearing and gives them a perfunctory wipe down.

Sam barks out a laugh as he climbs off Gabriel’s lap, “Guess I won't be giving that back to my brother.”

“Opps?” Gabriel says as he tosses the shirt to the end of the couch.

Sam holds a hand out to Gabriel, “Come on, what do ya say we make it an early night?”

Gabriel slaps his hand into Sam’s palm and allows him to pull him to his feet. Once standing, he pulls Sam down into another slow kiss. “Sam, if I wasn’t half drunk I would’ve given you a lot more than this,” he tells him sincerely as his hands slide over Sam’s chest.

Sam shakes his head and smiles warmly down at Gabriel, “I know and I didn’t want our first time to be rushed cause we’re both crazed or under the influence of anything.” He pulls at Gabriel’s elbow, “Come on, lets clean up and crawl into a real bed.”

Gabriel moans as he follows Sam down the hall to the bathroom, “I don’t even remember what that feels like.”

They contemplate a quick shower together but decide on a wipe down with a washcloth when they’re both overtaken with fatigue. It’s been both a physically and emotionally taxing few days for both of them.

Sam retrieves their clothes from the living room, finds Gabriel a clean shirt then switches the load from the washer to the dryer. “Did you work up another appetite?” Gabriel calls down the hall to Sam as he screws the cap on the whiskey and puts it back above the refrigerator.

“Maybe for you,” Sam tells him as he rounds the corner and pulls Gabriel into his arms.

“I could give you my most valiant effort but I’m not promising anything, I’m no young’un any more.”

“That’s fine cause I only want this,” he bends and lays a soft kiss over Gabriel’s mouth. “Lets go to bed. I’m beat. In the morning I’ll take you to my favorite hole in the wall diner.”

Gabriel lets out a wide yawn as he follows Sam to his bedroom, “Good plan.”

Sam’s room is simple but comfortable. Gabriel picks up one of the several framed photographs on Sam’s dresser, “Is this your niece?”

Sam smiles as he throws the cover back on the red and black comforter, “Yeah, that’s Kaia and my Mom.”

“I never grew up with Grandparents, they look like two peas in a pod.”

“Yeah, they were,” Sam tells him quietly as he sets the frame down. He watches Gabriel’s back as he bends to study each and every photo. “I think my Mom would’ve really liked you.”

Gabriel turns around abruptly, “Me?” he asks genuinly surprised.

“Yes you!” Sam chuckles as he gestures with his hand, “she had a great sense of humor.”

“I noticed you didn’t say the same about your Dad,” Gabriel points out as he climbs in next to Sam.

“Ha, uh yeah well Dad would’ve liked you but he was always slow to warm up. I should warn you, Dean’s the same way. He acts kind of gruff but his bark is worse than his bite...mostly.”

Gabriel winces, “And Castiel?”

“Cas is the best. He’s funny as hell, warm and he’s accepting of everyone.”

“Sounds like you,” Gabriel replies as he takes Sam’s hand.

“Hardly, Cas is one of a kind.”

Gabriel slides down the bed and props his head onto his hand, “I still stand by my statement.”

Sam turns out the light then mirrors Gabriel’s position, “Go to sleep, you talk too much.”

Gabriel drops his head to the pillow and takes Sam’s hand, he kisses his fingers then tucks their interlaced hands under his chin, “So I’ve been told. Night, Sam.”

Sam smiles in the dark and scoots a little closer to Gabriel before closing his eyes, “Good night, Gabriel.”


	4. Chapter 4

The room’s awash with the full moon as Sam’s awoken to cries of, “Take it! I don’t want it, Luci! Take it!”

Sam sits up and takes a hold of Gabriel’s shoulders, shaking him gently and calling his name, “Wake up, Gabriel.”

“I don’t, I don’t want it.” His head thrashes to the side and his fist slams into his pillow.

“Gabriel! Gabe, wake up.”

“Sam, help me. Sam?”

Sam grasps the back of Gabriel’s neck and calls his name. Finally, Gabriel’s eyes pop open and take in the sight of Sam as his vision falls into focus.

“Shh, only a dream, Baby. I’m here.” For the first time, outside of sex anyway, the endearment falls from Sam’s lips and it feels natural.

Gabriel’s tense muscles relax and he falls back onto his pillow as he rubs at his face, “Oh hey, we gotta stop meeting like this.”

“Don’t do that, please.”

His hand falls away to reveal his eyebrows raised high, “Do what?”

Sam rolls Gabriel until his back is to him then slides an arm around his waist and pulls him close. Resting his chin on his shoulder he says, “Please try not to cover with jokes. Know that you can trust me.”

He shimmies back, pressing his back tighter against Sam and weaves their calves together. He pulls Sam’s hand to his mouth and kisses his palm. “I promise to try,” he vows in a voice barely above a whisper.

Sam turns his head and lays a soft kiss over the stubbled covered skin where Gabriel’s jaw hinges, “That’s all I ask.” He lays his head back to his pillow and nuzzles his nose into the nape of Gabriel’s neck.

@@@@

The next instance of consciousness is much more pleasant for Sam. In fact it’s down right boner inducing.

Sometime in the night, they’ve both rolled over and now Sam’s back is pressed tightly against Gabriel. There’s a long line of comfort starting with Gabriel’s breath hot against his neck, down his back where it's snug against his chest, over their hips where he feels something not so soft forming, to their jumbled mess of legs and up to chest where Gabriel’s arm is wound around Sam's rib cage. His hand is splayed wide over his heart, the tips of his fingers pressing into his skin like he’s trying to keep it in place.

Sam can’t recall ever being held this way by anyone, man or woman. He’s always been the one to nestle his lover to his chest. Right now he feels safe. He feels protected. He feels like...he found his place at last.

Goosebumps break out over the surface of Sam’s skin as lips press lightly to his neck, “I could get used to this. Never held anything so big before,” Gabriel’s voice is raspy with desire and it sends the blood running straight from Sam’s head down to his cock, making him almost light headed.

He rolls in Gabriel’s grasp, not wanting to move away even an inch, “Sure about that?”

Gabriel’s eyes drop to Sam’s tented shorts, “In my arms, yeah. I didn’t say mouth.”

Morning breath be damned, Sam fists his hand in Gabriel’s messy strands and clamps down over his mouth. Gabriel’s enthusiastic response let’s him know he doesn’t mind either.

“You know,” Sam tells him between kisses and nips to his jaw and neck, “my plan was to slip out, make you coffee then we could shower together,” he pulls Gabriel’s earlobe between his teeth and lets them skim over as he pulls his head back, “but I realized there just isn’t enough room in there for what I really want to do to you.”

Gabriel throws his leg over Sam’s thigh and presses his hips forward, “And what's that, Sam? Ahh tell me it involves more of that mouth of yours!”

Sam smiles against Gabriel’s lips and looks him right in the eyes, “Mouth, fingers and tongue. So much tongue.”

Gabriel let's out a low groan and ruts against Sam again.

“I think I made it pretty clear last night,” Sam continues as his trail of open mouth kisses moves to Gabriel’s chest, “I’m basically a needy bottom,” he pulls Gabriel’s nipple into his mouth and sucks hard, humming when he feels fingers in his hair. “But I don’t know what you prefer. I don’t know,” he kisses across his chest to the other nipple, “what you don’t like.” He gives the same treatment to this nub before moving further down the bed in order to reach Gabriel’s stomach.

He pushes on his hip bone until Gabriel rolls to his back. His hands skim over Gabriel’s soft belly, loving the fact it isn’t completely flat. It tells him Gabriel appreciates a good meal.

“How about, uh,” his words break off into an oath as Sam dips his tongue into his belly button, “how about you do what you want and I’ll tell you if I wa-want you to stop?”

Sam lifts his chin and looks up at Gabriel, his skin from his chest up to his neck is flushed red and his pupils are wide. Sam feels a wolfish grin spread over his face, “Works for me.”

He slips his fingers into Gabriel’s waistband, tugs them down and groans as his hard cock pops free from it’s confines. His mouth latches over his hip bone as his hands run over thighs and stomach. “Roll over for me, Babe.”

“Hmm, I like where this is going,” Gabriel sighs as he rolls over and bunches the pillow in his arms.

As Gabriel situates himself, Sam crawls to his bedside table and grabs the purple topped bottle then returns to his position next to Gabriel’s hips. His hands skim over the globes of his ass as he gets his first up-close look at them. He bites at the cheek closest to him, making Gabriel cry out. “Gabe, so fucking perfect.” Sam groans as he imagines what Gabriel’s round ass would look like as he pounds into Sam.

The image spurs Sam on and he’s no longer able to delay reaching his intended target. He drops his feet to the floor at the foot of the bed, removes his shorts, and grabs Gabriel's ankles. First he pulls his feet closer to the end of the bed then he pushes until his knees are slightly bent. As he drops to his knees, Sam slides his hand between Gabriel’s legs and gives his hard cock a few languid strokes as he kisses up his left thigh. He bites his cheek, leaving a mark that matches the right side.

His hand leaves his cock, slides over his balls and up over the globe of his ass. Sam’s thumbs dip into his crack and spread him wide. “Fuck!”

“Ah damn,” Gabriel moans as his hand leaves the pillow and slides under his body to grab his cock.

Sam lets the saliva pooling in his mouth slide down his tongue onto Gabriel’s puckered hole, he watches it run for a second then laps it up with a wide, flat tongue. His hands hold Gabriel steady as he lurches backward. “So much tastier that I ever imagined. Fuck.” He doesn’t hold back as he licks over his hole again and dips the tip of his tongue in, pulling at his rim.

“Sam, Sam, oh God,” Gabriel cries into the pillow at his face as his body rocks on his knees and his toes dig into the bed.

Sam thickens his tongue and spears it into his winking hole, pushing forward as far as he’s able he wiggles his tongue and nips at his rim with his front teeth. Pulling back he moans as his hands squeeze. He sucks at each cheek before diving forward, licking and moaning, his own pleasure only spurred on more by Gabriel’s cries and thrusts.

His own hips roll forward, seeking badly needed friction. He’s almost ashamed at how quickly he’s reached the crest of his own impending orgasm. He inhales the sweet smell of musk and soap and hears the sound of rubbing skin as Gabriel strokes himself.

“God damn it Gabriel, you fucking _wreck_ me. I’m leaking and rock hard for you. Fuck.” His hand drops from Gabriel’s cheek and wraps around his shaft, “Ahhh, damn, you taste so good,” he pants before licking up his crack, sliding into his hole and pulling at his rim.

Gabriel pushes to his elbow and looks over his shoulder, “Don’t you dare come without me be able to see you.”

And holy fuck. Sam lets out a strangled cry as he grabs himself tight around the base of his shaft, halting it at the very last second. He wants nothing more than to obey his command. He releases himself and lubes up the palm of his left hand and the fingers of his right. The sound of the cap snapping makes Gabriel push up onto all fours, into a presenting position.

Sam climbs up onto the bed and takes a moment to kiss along Gabriel’s back. Seeing the starry night of freckles spread over his skin is enough to make him want to halt everything in order to kiss every brown spot. Gabriel’s low guttural moans are the only thing keeping him from doing that.

He kneels next to Gabriel’s left hip and takes a moment to kiss it before sliding down his crack and into his loosened hole. Gabriel cries out sharply as he clenches around Sam’s fingers and Sam’s mouth drops open, breath coming out in short pants as Gabriel chants his name.

“Another, S-Sam.”

Sam hesitates only briefly, choosing to trust Gabriel to know what he can handle, before adding a second finger. He nudges Gabriel's hand away and slides his into its place and begins to stroke him quickly and firmly while his fingers spread, twist and rub in and around his hole.

Sam’s never in his life come untouched but he may at this very moment. He’s hanging onto that ledge with his fingertips and he can feel the sweat running down his back from the effort. He takes great care to keep his straining cock from rubbing against Gabriel’s skin as he strokes Gabriel. One light touch is all it’d take and he’d be coating Gabriel’s leg.

He doubles his efforts and watches Gabriel drop to his forearms as a string of incoherent words and grunts fall from his mouth. Sam gives his wrist a twist on the upstroke and flicks his thumb through the string of precome and coats his shaft on the down stroke. He repeats this same motion as his fingers search, search and hit their mark.

“Saam, huh huh, fuck.” Gabriel’s muscles seize and Sam feels his cock give a jump under his hand a second before warm cum splashes across the back of his hand. He gently removes his fingers and grabs a hold of his right hip, digging his fingers into his soft flesh as he milks his cock through the final pulses.

“Gabe-Gabe-Gabe,” Sam pants with his eyes squeezed tightly shut.

He’s vaguely aware of Gabriel sitting up and pushing on his shoulders. He falls back onto his heels and opens his eyes to find Gabriel leaning close, licking his lips. “Don’t!” Sam cries as he clutches the blanket under his hands, “Don’t, if you kiss me or t-touch me I’ll come.”

“One touch, huh? So if I touch the tip of my tongue to that perfect bead sitting on the tip of your perfect cock, that’ll do it?”

Sam’s chin drops to his chest as he does everything in his power not to picture that image as he feels the heat burning low in his gut and his body trembles, fighting for some kind of sign from Gabriel's it's his turn.

Without warning, his cock’s enveloped in a hot, wet suction, causing Sam’s eyes to pop open only to have his vision black out as he comes the hardest he’s ever come. His whole body jerks forward as wave after wave tears through him. Just when he thinks Gabriel’s swallowed it all down, he feels a slick finger slide into his ass, right up to the first knuckle and he surges forward once more. “Holy fuck,” he rasps as Gabriel removes his finger and his mouth hums as he pulls off but not before giving his head one more lick.

“Mmm, that's better than any dessert I’ve _ever_ tasted. Smear that shit on my pound cake. Better yet, smear it over my ass after you’ve pounded into my cake.”

Sam groans as he sinks to the bed. He’s still trembling and every nerve ending still feels frayed. “Shh, rest,” is the last thing Sam hears before darkness falls over him again.

The feel of warm lips pressing along his arm, neck and cheek pulls Sam from his slumber. “Did I fall asleep?” Sam asks Gabriel as he rolls to his back and spreads his arms wide.

“More like passed out,” Gabriel chuckles as he lays over his chest.

“Hmmm,” Sam rubs his face against the side of Gabriel’s hair and inhales the scent of his sweet sweat mixed with Sam’s shampoo. “I want to kiss you but I’m going to brush my teeth first.”

Gabriel kisses Sam’s collarbone, “Ya know some get off on that.”

“What, tasting themselves in another mouth?”

“Yeah.”

Gabriel’s body shifts with Sam’s laughter, “Are you one of those people?”

“I’ll admit I’m kind of kinky but no. I’m not.”

“Noted.” He kisses Gabriel’s temple, “Let’s go shower. Wait,” he lays back down as a thought occurs to him. “How did you lube your finger so quickly?”

Gabriel lifts his head from Sam’s chest and his cheeks are actually tinged red and Sam finds it breathtaking, “I used my own spunk that was on my stomach.”

Sam’s eyes roll back, “Now _that_ is fucking hot. Fuck! Come on,” he smacks Gabriel’s bare ass and bucks his hips, “lets go. I’m hungry.”

They brush their teeth as the water warms and Sam doesn’t miss the soft look on Gabriel’s face as he sets his toothbrush into the holder next to Sam’s. Between kisses and caresses they wash and shampoo each other.

Sam’s in front of Gabriel as they step out of the steamy bathroom, towels draped loosely over their hips. Before they reach the bedroom, two arms wrap around Sam’s chest and hold him tight. “You missed a spot when you dried off,” Gabriel tells him right before he licks across Sam’s back.

On a sigh, Sam replies, “What a pal.” His hands come up to grip at his wrists as he leans further against Gabriel, wishing it was possible to be closer. There’s a warmth spreading through him because there’s that feeling again. That feeling of being safe and secure in another’s arms. He spins in Gabriel’s arms and walks him backwards until they both fall onto the bed. For the next several minutes they lie together, kissing over mouth and body. Their exploration is soft and slow. It’s all about letting the other know they’re not alone.

Sam’s more than happy to spend the entire day wrapped in this man’s arms but the rumble of Gabriel’s stomach reminds them both they haven’t eaten yet. Sam gives Gabriel one last kiss then cliimbs off the bed. He throws on underwear, shorts and a v-necked t-shirt. “Why don’t you dig through my drawers here while I brew some coffee to take on the road.”

Sam’s eyes roam Gabriel’s body as his towel drops to the floor, “Did you forget I have clothes in the dryer?”

Sam kisses his mouth and pats his bare ass as he walks past, “No I didn’t forget, I just like seeing you in mine.”

“After breakfast," Sam tosses over his shoulder, "or rather lunch,” he adds as he glances at the clock on the living room wall, “we’ll hit the grocery store. Think about what you want for dinner.” He flips on the television to listen to the noon hour news as he heads to the kitchen to fill the coffee pot. He's enjoying the domesticity of the morning and he chooses to ignore the tight ball that forms in his gut at the realization it may all end when Gabriel goes home.

"The boat, named _The_ _Trickster_ , owned by the son of publishing king, Cain Milton, was found early this morning adrift just off the coast of Santa Cruz, Mexico. No one was found on board and police reports no signs of foul play."

Sam slowly walks into the living room, surely he heard that wrong. As he rounds the corner, his screen fills with an image of someone all too familiar to him. Gabriel’s arm and arm with an older man with dark hair and a goatee.

His mouth drops open as the newscaster continues, “Gabriel Milton was last seen by his brother, Lucifer Milton, four days ago. Milton was planning a two day cruise-”

The remainder of that sentence is cut off, “Oh look,” Gabriel’s voice is weary, “I made the national news. Goody. That should help with Dad’s newspaper sales.”

Sam turns on his heel, the empty coffee pot hanging from his fingertips, “Gabriel, you-”

He turns back to the television when a different voice comes from the speaker, “If anyone has any information regarding the whereabouts of my son, please I beg you, come forward.” The man speaking is the same from the photograph. His black hair is peppered with grey and the goatee is gone. His eyes have large dark circles under them and his voice is thick as he finishes his statement, “Please, I just want my son home.”

The screen goes black as Sam stares slack jawed.

“Ready to go? I’m starved.”

“Gabriel,” Sam turns to Gabriel to find his face slack and his shoulders slumped, “you gotta call him.”

He shakes his head, “I can’t.”

“But Gabe!” He points at the television, “Didn’t you see how upset he was? I keep thinking about my dad and what he’d be going through if he thought I was-”

“I can’t, Sam,” Gabriel cuts him off firmly. “It might be better for him to think I’m gone. Then he’ll never know that his son...no, I just can’t.”

“Was that your brother standing behind him?”

“Yeah, that was Luci.”

“I know you guys aren’t as close as Dean and I but-” he bites his words off when Gabriel starts to laugh. The sound makes goosebumps break out over Sam’s skin.

“'Not close', that’s a good one." His humorless laugh ends before he continues, "Sam, I can’t go back. I can’t be sure but I think…”

As his words fade, Gabriel drops onto the couch and covers his face. Sam’s stomach clenches as he sits beside him and wraps his arms around his shoulders. “Talk to me, please,” he pleads with him quietly. “Whatever it is, let me help you. Gabriel, Gabriel look at me.” It takes him a moment but Gabriel drops his hands and raises his eyes to Sam. Sam feels a lump form in his throat over how utterly defeated he looks. “I care about you, Gabriel Milton. I don’t care who your father is, I care about you. _Talk_ to me. Make me understand why you don’t want to tell your family you’re safe.” He pulls Gabriel into a tight embrace and rubs his back.

Gabriel pulls out of the hug and looks Sam in the eye, “I can’t go back because if I do he’ll know he failed and then I may put you in danger as well.”

“What-”

“I think, maybe, my brother tried to kill me.”

What? Sam _must’ve_ heard him wrong. “But you said it was just you and the guide out there.”

Gabriel nods his head slowly, “It was. The guide’s whose name I acquired from Lucifer.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before you read this, check out the new art added to chapter 1 (halfway through) !!! @osnaart on Tumblr has some beautiful rarepair artwork and she created one for me! After you read this, check It out the blog!

“You’re telling me your brother, your flesh and blood, may have hired a hitman...for you?” Sam’s having the hardest time wrapping his brain around this concept.

“Honestly, Sam, I don’t know. Maybe. Maybe not.” Sam watches, mouth still hanging open, eyebrows raised to his hairline, no doubt making the lines of his forehead deepen, as Gabriel stands and walks to the kitchen.

Sam joins him seconds later and watches in silence as he files away the dried money and credit cards back into his wallet. The last item is a small photo, it’s creased in several areas and the salt has eaten away much of the color but Sam’s still abe to make out the faces. “Such a good day,” Gabriel says quietly as he runs a finger over his Dad’s face. It’s a photo of Gabriel, his dad and brother standing in front of a baseball diamond. The brothers flank their dad, all three wearing baseball caps and smiles as bright as the red upon their heads.

“Wait, is that…” Sam points to his backpack still sitting on the ground where he’d left it yesterday. He walks to it now and pulls out the hat Gabriel was wearing as he floated in the ocean. The very hat that’d caught Sam’s eye before turning away and leaving Gabriel, no both of them, to an entirely different fate.

Gabriel slides the photo into his wallet and takes the cap from Sam, “Yeah, that’s the one. We laughed at how ridiculous we looked buying matching ones that day,” he traces the red letter “A” with the halo sitting atop. Sam doesn’t watch much baseball but he recognizes the logo for the Los Angeles Angels baseball team.

He curls the brim into his palm then tosses it onto the counter. “Let’s go, I’m not feeling the greatest.”

“Uh, right, of course.” Gabriel’s face has grown pale despite the sunburn still lingering, “You still want to eat or would you rather just, I dunno, go for a drive?”

“I want to eat at your favorite hole in the wall diner,” Gabriel repeats Sam’s earlier description.

Sam offers Gabriel his hand, “I’d love to take you.”

The drive over is quiet, Sam leaves Gabriel to his thoughts as he watches out the window but he’s grateful when he reaches across the bench to grasp Sam’s hand.

As they enter the diner, Gabriel’s shoulders round to his ears and he moves in close to Sam’s back, practically walking on his heels. Sam casually reaches a hand behind him and takes his fingers as a waitress approaches them, “Hey there, Sam! Haven’t seen your dimples around here in a while.”

“Hi, Jo. I know, shame on me,” he smiles warmly before gesturing with his chin to the booth in the very back of the diner, “Is that table open?”

“Not only is it open but it’s my section today," her eyes flick briefly to Gabriel before leading them to the booth but she doesn't say anything to him. “Coffee?”

Sam flips the mug over in front of him then does the same for Gabriel’s, “That’d be great, thanks.” As she walks away, Sam hands Gabriel a plastic covered menu. “Everything's great, they do all day breakfast and I think you may like the waffles.”

“Is that what you order?” he asks as he opens it up and finds the breakfast section.

“No, I like their spinach, tomato and turkey sausage omelette made with eggwhites.”

Gabriel’s mouth drops open on a gasp, “That sounds…” he shakes his body in an exaggerated shiver. “How can I trust your recommendation when you eat,” he pauses to make air quotes with his fingers, “food, like that?”

“Such a smart ass,” he nods his head up at Jo as she fills their cups, “Dean’s ordered them before. They’re piled high with sickly sweet fruit and whipped cream.”

“Wait, fresh fruit or the good kind from a can?”

“Oh, honey, the good kind,” Jo replies.

Sam slides from the booth and grabs the sugar from the table next to them when he notices their table is without. He’s looking at Jo, placing his order so he misses the way Gabriel stares at the little square ceramic dish then slides the menu back against the wall. “I’m gonna take Sam at his word and order the waffles with blueberries and a side of bacon.”

“Coming right up,” Jo gives them each a smile then tears their order off her pad.

Gabriel’s eyes track Jo as she walks behind the counter and slaps their ticket onto the window pass. Sam sips his coffee and leaves Gabriel to his silence. If that’s what he needs, Sam’s more than happy to just sit with him.

He seems to remember his coffee, adds the sugar but doesn’t take a drink, he just stares down into the cup. When his fingers begin to anxiously tap on the tabletop, Sam reaches over and flips his placemat over. When Gabriel looks up at him, one eyebrow arched, Sam hands him a pen.

“Where’d you pull that out of, Copperfield?”

He shrugs a shoulder and picks up his mug again, “I had it in the truck, stuck it in my shirt pocket just in case.” He pats his hand over the breast pocket of his tee.

“I got another text from my brother,” Sam mentions as Gabriel starts to draw, “he, uh wants to know how my trip went. I should really call him soon, I know he’s worried about me.”

“You should call him then. Don’t feel you need to keep secrets from him.” He looks up from the table and meets Sam’s eye, “Really, it’s okay.”

Sam clears his throat, “Yeah, okay, maybe I’ll call him when we finish up here.”

“Good,” he replies with a firm nod of his head.

“You must be relieved they found her.”

Gabriel shakes his head, “Only because my book of sketches is on board.” He pushes the drawing across the table to Sam and tosses the pen aside. “I’m gonna sell her.”

“Sell your boat, why? And also, why _The Trickster_?” His fingers skim over the lettering on the stern of the boat.

“If I never get out onto the water again, it’ll be too soon. But even before this happened I never really cared about using it. My Dad gave it to me as a gift and I’ve always felt guilty leaving her docked most of the year.”

“Can’t say I blame you,” Sam tells him as he folds the drawing up and tucks it into his back pocket.

“Dad’s the one who named her. Growing up, Luci-”

“Here you go, guys,” Jo slides a steaming plate in front of each of them.

Sam chuckles when Gabriel wrinkles his nose, “Looks even worse than your description.”

“Ha! And that,” he jabs a finger in the air at the thick river of blue hiding, he assumes, a stack of cooked bread, “is a diabetic-coma-inducing _dessert_.”

“See, what _I_ heard you say was, ‘Gabriel, that meal looks as sweet as you’. And you’d be wrong,” he runs his finger through the mound of whipped cream and sucks it clean, “I’m _much_ sweeter.”

“I like this one, Sam,” Jo laughs with a thumb in Gabriel’s direction. “That enough whipped cream for you, Gabriel?”

“Looks perfect, thank you.”

Sam takes a gulp of coffee, hoping to replace the moisture that’s suddenly vacated his mouth, “Uh, Thanks, Jo.”

“Holler if you need me.”

Sam opens his mouth to pick up where the conversation had left off before Jo showed up but instead of asking the questions on the tip of his tongue, he shovels in a forkful of egg and vegetables. For the first time since seeing the news broadcast, Gabriel’s brow is smooth from worry and Sam never wants to be the one to put it back there.

“Hmm, you’re missing out, Sam. Damn, that’s good,” he tells him around a mouthful of fruit and waffle.

“This’s our first date, so fire away.” Sam spears a piece of turkey sausage and pops it into his mouth, “What do you want to know about me?”

“I’d like to think our first date was sandwiches by the fire, then you made me breakfast so, technically this’s date number three.”

“You know, I think you’re right. I guess that just raised your chances of getting lucky tonight.”

Gabriel’s face falls, “You mean I wouldn’t have when you thought this was the first?”

Sam knows he’s teasing but he plays along anyway, “Nah probably not." He swallows his food, and leans over his plate, "Who am I kidding? Clearly you’re kryptonite to me.”

“Clearly,” Gabriel tells him in agreement.

They fall into a steady conversation that feels as natural to Sam as if he’s sitting with a partner he’s known for years, not days. He tells Gabriel where he went to school, how his brother met his husband and about the first time he babysat his niece.

“So did they ever ask, “Hey, Sammy, why does my kid smell like dish soap?”

Sam lays his fork and knife across his empty plate and laughs, “No but I’m thinking when he first opened the tub of diaper rash cream to find claw marks roughly the size of a two year old’s fingers, he probably figured it out.” He laughs at the memory he hasn’t thought about in a long time, “The look on her face when I walked around that corner. She was so proud of her artwork smeared all over her body, floor and wall.”

“Better she used the greasy cream as a medium and not the contents of a full diaper. I’m impressed you thought to use dish soap.”

“I didn’t at first, I dropped her in the tub and lathered her up with her watermelon scented soap but that stuff just beaded right off her, which duh, that’s what the cream’s supposed to do, but I was full on panicking by that point. The fact that she was having fun in the water is the only reason I was actually able to apply some logic to my dilemma.”

Gabriel lets out a loud belly laugh and it makes Sam’s stomach flip, “I can almost picture you running to the kitchen, a dripping toddler under your arm as you grab the dish soap and haul ass back to the bathroom.”

“Yeah,” Sam shakes his head slowly and reaches his hand across the table, “that’s an accurate description.”

Gabriel slides his hand into Sam’s palm, “I hope I’m able to meet them all some day. I feel like I know them already with how fondly and how often you speak of your family.”

Gabriel’s words are kind but they hold undertones of sadness, “They’re gonna fall for you as hard as I have.”

Gabriel lets out a snort and shakes his head. “Doubtful.”

“Gabe, do you really think you’re brother’s behind what happened to you?” Sam’s voice is low and reluctant as his thumb rubs circles over Gabriel’s knuckles.

“I’m clinging to a single shred of hope he isn’t but, I don’t know.”

“Why would he?”

“Money. Power. My dad has a lot of both. For reasons I’ll never understand, Dad’s always wanted me to take over as CEO when he’s ready to retire. I’ve been telling him since I was sixteen I don’t have the brains to take that on.”

Sam tugs at Gabriel’s hand in reflex, “I don’t buy that for a second.”

“Okay, maybe not brains but I certainly lack the drive. You know who has an abundance of drive and desire to succeed? Lucifer, that’s who.”

“Did you ever say that to your Dad?”

“Every chance I have but it’s like he’s got the mute button on when it comes to anything resembling the word no.”

“Which is probably how he’s acquired his wealth and power.”

“No probably about it. He doesn’t just own and stay active in the running of the _Pasadena Times_ newspaper, in fact,” Gabriel pauses in thought, “actully, I can’t even tell you what he owns because, to be honest I don’t care, I just know there’s _a lot_. It’s not my thing, it’s my brother’s.”

“Getting rid of you would ensure it would go to him?” Sam’s horrified by the thought.

“I guess. Luci can be a great big bag of dicks, don’t get me wrong, but for him to do this….I just can’t wrap my brain around it. I mean, he’s despised me since before I was born but I really thought we’d gotten to a better place lately. We were both making an effort to at least be civil to each other.”

“Let me clear those plates out of your way,” Gabriel and Sam both pull back as Jo steps up to their table. She lays their bill on the table then picks up their dishes. “Can I get you anything else? Freshen up your coffee?”

When Gabriel shakes his head no Sam looks around the diner, “You want to stay here a little longer?”

“No, I’m good. You should really call your brother.” Before Sam’s able to protest, Gabriel has his wallet out and he’s handing the bill plus cash to Jo, “Keep the change.”

“Have a great day, guys. Don’t be such a stranger, Sam, and be sure to bring this hottie back with you,” she gives Gabriel a wink before turning to go.

“Have to admit that’s a first.”

“Surely you’ve been called much more expletive things than hottie,” Sam tells him with an arm around his shoulder as he leads him through the diner.

“Pssh, no of course not. Clearly I’m a catch. What I meant was,” he elaborates as they approach Sam’ truck, “that’s the first time anyone’s hit on me without a direct response from my dick.”

“Still tired from this morning are you?” Sam teases.

“No, I think my dick only as interest in my current company.”

All this talk of Gabriel’s parts has Sam’s parts taking notice, lots of notice and very quickly at that. “Is that so?” Sam drops his voice low as he crowds Gabriel up against the cab of the truck. His knees bend slightly in order to slot between Gabriel’s thighs and press firmly up. “Hmm, look at that, I think you may be right.” Sam feels Gabriel’s cock harden against his knee and it makes Sam feel a bit feral. Remembering they’re in the parking lot of a family restaurant and not his living room, he kisses Gabriel but keeps it light.

After several heated twirls of his tongue, Gabriel pulls back and thumps his head against the window. “Fuck.”

Sam takes advantage of his exposed neck and nibbles over his Adam’s Apple.

“I repeat, fuck. And now you expect me to go to the grocery store? You’re killing me, Winchester.”

“Sorry, don’t really know what came over me,” Sam gives Gabriel one more closed mouth kiss on the lips then steps away, “I’m not usually so forward.”

“I’m not exactly complaining, obviously,” he gives the hem of his t-shirt a tug down, “but it appears I may give the housewifes and retired folks a show in the produce section.”

“Sorry,” Sam repeats, clearly not sorry in the least.

Gabriel holds his hand out flat, “Why don’t you let me drive, then you can call Dean.”

He drops the keys into Gabriel’s palm with a word of thanks then rounds the truck to the passenger side. “At least I don’t need to tie blocks to my feet as I’d feared,” he comments after Sam’s settled into his seat, phone in hand. “I still don’t see how you’re comfortable sitting here.”

“Just used to it, I guess. Take a left out of the driveway, in about five miles, turn right on Independence Lane. There’s a Whole Foods Market two miles from there. Afterwards, we can walk the few blocks to the Marshall’s department store and pick you up some clothes and toiletries, although,” he adds with a sideways glance, “I’m kind of digging the beard that’s starting to fill in.”

Gabriel runs his fingers through the scruff along his jaw and Sam bites his lower lip, wishing he could do that as well. _Focus. Call brother. Lust after man in truck later._

“Heya Sammy, I was starting to think I should send out a search party. How you been? How was your trip?”

“It was, well unexpected to say the least. I missed you, wish you would’ve come along.”

“I’m sorry, next time for sure,” Dean answers him firmly. “Tell me all about it. Did you find yourself a mermaid?”

“Well,” Sam glances at Gabriel and can’t hold back the smile and it carries through into his voice, “you’re not too far off on that.”

“Wait, what? Did you meet someone little brother?”

“I did.”

“Oh Sammy you dog, come on I want details.”

“Dean, I-”

“Is this new person the reason you’re just _now_ calling me? You aren’t alone, are you?” understanding painting Dean’s voice.

“No, I’m not.”

“Open with that next time, won’t cha? We can talk later. Are we still on for this weekend?”

“Shit, I forgot what day of the week it is, they’ve all been running together. Yes, I’ll be there.”

Gabriel pulls into a parking spot at the grocery store and removes his seatbelt. He points outside and Sam shakes his head no, he doesn’t need to leave. Gabriel waves his hand and gets out.

“Good, Kaia’s been a broken record asking for you. Maybe you could bring…”

“Gabriel,” Sam supplies as Dean’s voice fades.

“Ahh, _Gabriel_. Nice. Yes, bring Gabriel with you. Have fun, stay safe, Sammy. Hope I don’t need to remind you, no glove no l-”

“Got it, thanks Dean. I’ll see you on Sunday.” He hits the red phone icon, slips the phone into the pocket of his shorts and climbs out.

He slides up next to Gabriel where he’s leaning on the tail end of the bed. His eyes are distant as he watches the people stream in and out of the front door of the store.

“Penny for your thoughts,” Sam tells him as he slips an arm over his shoulders.

“I keep thinking about,” he shakes his head and runs a hand through his hair, “I keep thinking about my Dad. I’ve never seen him look so...defeated. But if I call him then I’ll have to tell him what happened and then the police will have to be called.”

“How is that a bad thing?”

“Once they get involved, then there won’t be any doubt. I’ll know, and more importantly, my Dad will know his oldest tried to eliminate his youngest. I don’t want him to go through that.”

Sam removes his arm and takes Gabriel’s hand, “Is it better for him to go on thinking you’re lost at sea?”

Gabriel’s head drops forward, “No, I don’t suppose that’s any better.”

“Let me take you to see him. Maybe they have more answers already. Maybe that guide wasn’t hired by anyone but you. Maybe he saw an opportunity and seized it. I mean, isn’t it odd that he tossed you the life preserver? Wouldn’t it have made his job more likely to succeed if he’d left you without?”

Gabriel pushes off the truck and faces Sam, “That detail’s been chewing at me as well. Fine, I’ll go but I’m taking a bus.”

Sam straightens his shoulders, “The hell you are,” he huffs out.

“Sam, I’m not about to drag you into this mess. I don’t want to put you in danger.”

“And I’m not about to let you walk into any of that alone. No fucking way.”

“Well damn, we may need to make a detour to your house first Sam,” he presses their bodies flush, “seeing this protective side of you is making me hard again.”

“Down boy, we should get on the road,” he holds his hand out for the keys.

Gabriel drops them into his palm with a pout, then grumbles under his breath as he gets in the cab.

He’s still mumbling when Sam climbs in beside him, “Aww look how cute he is when he doesn’t get his way.”

Gabriel turns towards him, jabs a finger in the air at him, “You-” he huffs air out through his nose then throws the hand into the air, “nope, can’t even pretend to be irritated with you. That look is evil and I shall find a way to use it to rule the world!” he cries out.

Sam laughs at his antics, “Didn’t you just tell me you didn’t want money and power?”

His dimples flash with his grin, “Who said I wanted that? By 'world' I meant your bedroom. Where upon I’d keep you tied up by soft leather cuffs and edge you for hours. After I grant my permission for you to finally come, it’ll be so phenomenal you’ll blackout. Upon your waking, I’d feed you chocolate dipped strawberries and fresh squeezed orange juice.”

Sam shifts in his seat and tries to swallow but his tongue is glued to the roof of his mouth. “Uh, what would I be wearing?”

Gabriel’s answer is delivered just as casually as if he were giving directions, “A leather harness of course.” And in the next breath, directions is exactly what Gabriel gives, “Just head towards the city and I’ll take over driving from there.”

Sam fumbles to put the key in the ignition, the image playing out before his eyes is entirely too vivid to be dealing with in a parking lot in the middle of the day, what a bastard, he thinks. I can’t get enough of him. “Drive, right, just give me a minute to remember how to do that.”

“You bastard,” Sam repeats, aloud this time, as Gabriel chuckles to himself. This only makes him laugh harder.

Sam sticks a pin in that, knowing damn well he’d like to explore this new found part of himself he didn’t even know existed, and points the truck towards Pasadena.

The two hour drive is easy. Stopping only once for fuel and to allow Gabriel to take the wheel. They talk about music, food, movies, books and vacations they’d always wanted to take.

Sam’s doing his best to tread lightly through their current topic of conversation. Little by little, Gabriel’s opening up more about himself. Sam’s excited and impressed to learn Gabriel’s a little more than a “peon” for his father as he’d earlier described. On occasion, he writes a column for the paper. He refuses to tell Sam what the topic is but he doesn’t ask him not to google it at a later date either.

“I also act as the photo and graphics editor.”

Sam sits up straighter in his seat, “That’s huge! Doesn’t that mean you oversee every picure that goes in the paper?”

He shrugs his shoulder as he eases them off the freeway, “You can only look at so many photos of Mrs Fussypants’s prize winning pumpkin from the state fair or Mr. Ibelieveinaliens's latest “proof” for the _What's Happening in Your Neck of the Woods_  section of the paper.”

“Come on now,” Sam gives his arm a playful tap, “I’ve read that paper and I’ve always thought there was a nice balance to the national news and the local-”

“Fluff?” Gabriel supplies with an arch of his eyebrow.

“I was going to say flavor. You know that fluff's just as important.”

“Boring.”

“Then do something else.” Gabriel pulls to the curb in front of a large office building that holds the office of the _Pasadena_ _Gazette_ , the sign reads _Milton_ _Industries_. “My God, Gabriel, your name’s on the freaking building, and clearly you have talent. If there’s something else you’d rather do then _do_ it!”

“Oh my handsome Sam, if only it were that easy.” He kills the engine and lets his hand drop into his lap as he stares up at building front. “I don’t know if I can do this,” he tells Sam barely above a whisper.

“Hey!” Sam grabs his hand, “Hey, you can and you will. One step at a time. You know you can’t let your Dad keep wondering what the hell happened to you. I don’t know him but I saw him yesterday the same as you did. Either he’s a really good actor or he’s pretty tore up over you.”

Gabriel squeezes Sam’s hand then pulls away, “You’re right. Time to nut up.” His hand freezes on the door handle and he suddenly turns back to Sam, his eyes are round and his face is pale, “You’re coming with me, right?”

“I’m going to do whatever you need me to do. That being said, yes I want to go with you. I don’t know if I could stay down here knowing you may be entering into a rocky situation.”

Air rushes past Gabriel’s lips as he opens his door. They meet up and Gabriel takes Sam’s hand automatically and leads him away from the front door, “There’s a seperate entrance around back, we’ll draw less attention to ourselves that way.”

Sam nods his head, trying his best not to show how shook he is over the tremor in Gabriel’s voice.

Gabriel releases Sam’s hand long enough to pull a card from his wallet, wave it in front of an electronic reader, and pull the door open when the little light flashes green. He keeps the card in one hand and grabs Sam’s hand with the other.

Once inside the elevator, Gabriel punches the number 15 then waves the card a second time. “Only the lucky few get access to the Big Kahuna,” Gabriel jokes.

The tremor remains despite the smile and Sam lays a hand to the back of Gabriel’s neck. “You got this, Baby. It’s going to be okay.”

“You haven’t failed me yet so I’m going to cling to your optimism,” Gabriel sighs as the light over the numbers climbs higher.

The doors open to reveal another set of doors. This one’s a deep cherry wood. Gabriel grasps the shiny gold arched handles and pulls in a cleansing breath. There are several muted voices filtering out into the quiet foyer and Sam rests a hand at the small of Gabriel’s back. He isn’t able to do this for him but he can at least let him know he’s here with him.

He leans back against Sam’s palm and his own hands slide down the door handle, leaving in their wake fading, damp impressions from the creases of Gabriel’s fists. “No time like the present.” He pushes open the doors with a flourish, takes a few steps inside then lets his voice boom out over the cacophony of men speaking, news blaring on the television and several phones singing, “I can’t _wait_ to hear about what everyone did over their summer vacation cause let me tell you, mine was a _doozy_!”

The room crackles with tension as three men, mouths hanging open, step away from the strong oak desk in the center of the room, to reveal an older man with salt and pepper hair. Sam's surprised at how modest the office appears, not at all what he expceted of a man of his stature to work in. The walls are adorned with framed awards and newspaper articles. Aside from the desk and several chairs, the furnishings are sparse.

The silence in the room only lasts a second before calls of Gabriel’s name wash over them. The look on Cain’s face is a mixture of relief and awe as he practically runs to his son.

“Gabriel!” he sighs as he throws his arms around him, the force at which makes Gabriel teeter on his feet but Sam’s hand on his back keeps him steady, “I knew you’d come home to me.” His hand cups the back of Gabriel’s head and Sam’s able to see the wet streaks down his profile before he turns into his son’s hair.

“It’s okay, Dad. I’m okay,” Gabriel has these words on repeat as he returns his Dad’s hug and pats at his back, waiting patiently.

Watching the two makes Sam uncomfortable like he shouldn’t be so close to such an intimate moment and yet, it also makes him miss his own Dad something terrible. Cain moves back enough to search out Gabriel’s face and this move makes Sam miss his Mom. The way Cain runs his hands down the side of his face and over his shoulders like he’s searching out injuries on his boy.

“What happened? Where’ve you been? Are you hurt? Are you hungry?” his questions break off as he turns and speaks to the first lackey at his right, “Alfie, order my son one of those subs he likes so much. You know the one with all the salami, pepperoni and dripping oil.” The man dashes off before Gabriel’s even able to protest. “Come sit, please.” He gestures to his chair first then waves his arm in the air. “Everyone, out. I need time with Gabriel and no one breathes a word of this to anyone.”

Cain’s words aren’t exactly unkind, it’s more in his tone that has Sam straightening his shoulders and turning towards the door. He isn’t even aware he’s doing it until Gabriel grabs his wrist with a vice like grip. “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere,” he tells him sheepishly.

“I know, he has that effect on everyone,” Gabriel tells him quietly as the three men file out, all giving Gabriel’s shoulder a pat with words of gratitude he’s back. Sam’s happy to see, from his standpoint anyway, that they all seem sincere and not the words of “yes men”.

It isn’t until Cain releases Gabriel’s arm that he seems to notice Sam. “Who are you?” His words are blunt but again, not unkind. Almost proper in his delivery.

“Sam,” he offers his hand, “Sam Winchester.”

Cain glances at Gabriel then shakes Sam’s hand briefly but firmly. “Are you my son’s flavor of the week?”

“Wow, thanks Dad, you sure know how to make me feel all warm and fuzzy,” Gabriel hooks his arm around Sam’s and pulls him to the wingbacked armchairs in front of his Dad’s desk.

“Come now, Gabriel, there’s nothing wrong with a healthy liabido.”

Gabriel lets out a snort as he drops into the chair. “Dad, Sam’s the reason I’m not currently fish chum.”

“What happened out there? I got worried when you wouldn’t answer your phone but Lucifer reassured me you were fine, just needed some space.” He falls into his chair and props his elbows on his desk, “But then, Jesus Gabe, your boat.” He drops his face into his hands and Sam sees the resemblance in father and son, after all, he’s seen Gabriel mirror this same move several times. “The coast guard found your boat, empty!” he cries as he lifts his head. “What happened?”

Sam feels conflicted. He wants to show Gabriel support but he doesn’t want to smother him either. He takes the middle ground and lays his hand on the empty arm of Gabriel’s chair. “I made a poor decision, that’s what happened. I trusted the wrong person.”

“What happened?” he repeats. “I can’t help you if I don’t know.”

“You don’t want to know Dad, I don’t want to know.” And now he takes Sam’s hand and pulls it into his lap. “The guide I hired felt I was cramping his style. Sam came along a short while later and invited me along for a ride and then he brought me here.”

“It appears I owe you a great deal, Mr. Winchester.”

Sam clears his throat and his fingers twitch in Gabriel’s grasp, “Please, Sam, and you don’t owe me a thing. I honestly feel I was steered into that path to find your son.” He looks Cain straight in the eye, “He’s an incredible person and I’m grateful to have met him.”

“Couldn’t agree more. Gabriel is incredible.”

“Great, glad we’re all on the same page,”Gabriel mumbles and Sam grins at him. Both their necks swivel towards Cain when he speaks up.

“Alfie, be so kind and ask Sherrif Mills to stop by, I need her to take a statement.” He hangs his phone up over Gabriel’s protests.

“I think it’ll be a waste of everyone’s time, Dad. I have nothing to tell her.”

“How about we let her be the judge of that. Yes, enter.” Cain booms when there’s a knock on the door.

“It’s true! I thought for sure those idiots were just fucking with me.”

Gabriel’s back goes ramrod straight and the pressure around Sam’s hand increases. As he suspected, the newcomer with the smooth voice, is Lucifer.

“Not this time, I’m afraid,” Gabriel tells him with a flat tone.

Sam pops out of his chair the same time Gabriel does and he closes in tight to his back as Lucifer approaches, arms spread out to his side. “I told Pops nothing would keep you down, ain’t that right little Bro?”

Gabriel allows his brother to hug him, even going so far to wrap his arms limply around him in return. “Whatever you say, Luci.”

“Thats right!” he cries out with a slap to Gabriel’s back.

Sam steps forward as an honest to God growl leaves his throat. The sound catches Lucifer’s attention and his grey eyes slide up. “My, my,” he sneers as he approaches Sam, “who have we here?” He stops just short of bumping toes with Sam, “You look, hmm,” he looks Sam up and down and Sam shivers at how dirty he feels, “ _way_ out of my brother’s league.”

“Funny,” Sam clenches his jaw, puffs out his chest, stares down into his narrow, lecherous eyes, “I’d say I’m more out of _his_ league.”

“Interesting,” he rumbles before turning away from Sam as if he’s dismissing him.

“Mr. Winchester, I’m sorry, _Sam_ , found Gabriel after the boat was hijacked.”

“Hijacked?” Lucifer’s eyes are wide as he turns to Gabriel, “you sure know how to find yourself in the stickiest of situation.” His arrogance is more than Sam can handle at the moment and he snaps.

“Hey, have a little respect why don’t you? He’s been through more in the last three days that you could ever imagine during your entire pampered little life!” Sam spits out, vaguely aware of Gabriel's hand on his chest, holding him back as he lunges at Lucifer.

“Lucifer, that is quite enough,” Cain cries the same time Lucifer holds out his hands in mock surrender, “Whoa, Gabby, call off your pretty attack dog, you know I was only giving you shit.”

Sam’s blood is boiling and his hands are going numb from clenching them so tightly into fists. The only thing that starts to clear the red from his vision is Gabriel’s face coming into view and his quiet voice, “It’s okay, Sam, really.” It’s the wink he gives Sam that finally gets him to sit back down into the seat.

“Gabriel was just about to tell me about what happened.”

“No, actually Gabriel wasn’t,” Gabriel answers dryly as another knock sounds at the door. This time they hear the click of high heels before Cain even calls to enter.

“Why Gabriel, it’s true! I’m so grateful you’re alright!” The strong scent of spicy perfume with a hint of something sweet and dangerous overpowers Sam’s sinuses seconds before he gets an eyeful of a stunning woman with red hair and big doe eyes. Her perfectly manicured hands rest on Gabriel shoulders as she kisses the air on either side of his head. People actually do that? Sam wonders as he fights to hold back the roll of his eyes. She clicks those heels again as she rounds the desk and lays a hand on Cain’s shoulder, “How wonderful, isn’t this a wonderful surprise?”

“It is indeed, Ms. Abaddon,” Cain smiles warmly at Gabriel and Sam believes him, “it is indeed.”

Her hand remains on Cain’s shoulder as she speaks to him again, “I just received word Sheriff Mills is here. Shall I send her up? Are you sure Gabriel is up to talking today?”

“Yes, please do Josie, uh Ms. Abaddon,” Cain quickly corrects himself. Interesting, Sam thinks.

“Of course. Once again,” she addresses Gabriel as she sails past, “so good to see you well.”

In one silent look Sam asks ‘what the hell?’ and Gabriel answers with a slight shake of his head and a flip of his wrist as if to say, ‘later’.

Cain follows her out and waits at the door for the Sheriff's arrival. He doesn’t need to wait long and the elevator doors are opening and a woman dressed in a tan sheriff's uniform is stepping out. “Jody, I hope we didn’t pull you from anything important.”

“No, I was in the area and besides, I’ve been just as worried about,” she breaks off when Gabriel stands, “Gabriel! Thank God, you had us all worried as hell.”

He doesn’t know if its the warmth in her brown eyes or the way she envelopes Gabriel in her arms, but Sam instantly likes this woman. “Sorry, Jody. Promise not to do that again.” Despite the circumstances, Sam feels like he knows Gabriel enough to know this joke is sincere. “Uh Jody, this is my friend Sam Winchester. He’s the one who stumbled upon me.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Sam.” Her hand is warm as it disappears into Sam’s.

“So Gabe, you up for telling me about your adventure?” she pulls out a small spiral notebook and pen and perches her hip on the corner of Cain’s desk.

“Jody, can I get you anything to drink? Gabriel? Sam?” Cain points to the small fridge against the wall. “If you change your mind, help yourself,” he tells them when they all answer in the negative.

Gabriel tells Jody that yes he’s ready to talk and Sam knows he just wants to get it over with so he can leave. “What do you want to know? I don’t think I’ll be much help.” This time, Gabriel is the one lying his hand on the empty armchair and Sam offers his hand without looking at him.

“Just start at the beginning.”

“Okay, well, I wanted to get away for a little while, by myself, but I’m not all that comfortable with the boat so I hired a guide.”

“Where did you get his name and do you still have his number?”

“I got it from the internet,” Gabriel squeezes Sam’s hand over the lie, “and the number was in my phone. I may have it written down back at my apartment, I can get it for you but It’s not going to do you any good.”

“If you can, that’d be great. What was the name he gave you?”

“Thomas, Ish-something,” Gabriel pinches the bridge of his nose and closes his eyes, “Ishim! Thomas Ishim.”

“Do you think that fabulous brain of yours could doodle me up a sketch?”

“Yeah, I could probably manage that.”

“So you hire Mr. Ishim and the two of you head out on what day?”

“Monday morning."

"And where did you launch? Here?"

"Yes. On the first day we stayed close to shore, only stoping to eat lunch. We docked in San Diego for the evening. I stayed on board while Thomas went out for several hours. In the morning we left at the first light."

We were out a few hours, I kept to myself, he kept to himself. We hardly spoke at all. After about, hmm I’d say, three hours, he killed the engine to let us drift a little. I’d put together a small breakfast and I shared with him but again, he stayed at the wheel and I went to sit on the bow deck.”

Gabriel’s skin is growing damp where it’s clamped onto Sam and his knees are now bouncing. Sam’s only able to see Gabriel in profile but he’s still able to see how his color has grown peaked. He slides his hand from Gabriel’s, tells him, “shh,” softly then walks to the mini refrigerator. He knows this will be the most difficult part for Gabriel.

He pulls out a bottle of water and remains standing next to Gabriel until he cracks it open and lifts it to his mouth. His gaze drifts up to Sam’s and remains locked on as swallows down half the bottle. “Thanks, Sam,” he tells him softly as he screws the cap back into place. Sam lets his hand slide over Gabriel’s shoulder and neck as he walks back around to his seat, it trails down his arm and settles back into his palm as he sits down.

“What happened after breakfast, Gabriel?”

“I wondered to the stern of the boat as Thomas increased our speed.”

“Did you have a destination planned?”

“Nah, I’d told him just to take me out for a few hours then bring me back before dark. Guess that was pretty stupid on my part, huh?” Gabriel’s chin dips as he looks down at his lap.

“Not at all, Gabriel,” Sam bites his tongue over the words he doesn’t say, _you were trusting your brother._

“So you’re on the stern of the boat, Mr. Ishim has increased your speed,” she prompts gently.

“Y-yeah, I was watching the waves out the back, kind of zoning out, you know?”

“I do that all the time, Gabe, helps me think,” Cain tells him calmly.

Gabriel gives his Dad a slight nod before continuing, “As I was saying, I wasn’t paying attention so I didn’t hear Thomas approach me from behind. One minute I’m looking down into the water, the next I’m in it.”

Sam wishes he’s able to see Lucifer’s reaction as Gabriel tells his story but he’s moved somewhere behind him. He figures it’s probably for the better anyway since it’s clear Gabriel is having a rough time. “Gabriel, it’s okay if you want to take a breather.” Sam leans over the arms of their chairs, bringing their faces close together, hoping Gabriel’s focus will narrow in on his eyes.

“No, I just want to get this over with,” he squirms in his seat and silently pleads with Sam.

“If you’re sure.” He waits until Gabriel nods at him before sitting back into his chair.

“You can put the brakes on at anytime, Gabriel.” Gabriel nods at Jody in understanding and then she asks, “Did he push you?”

“Yes, well I think so. The only thing I remember is feeling a sharp pain at the back of my head before hitting the water. So I don’t know if he pushed me or I fell in. Next I felt something soft bump my head and it turned out to be a life preserver. By the time I was able to get my bearings, the boat was half a mile away.”

Sam closes his eyes over the image he conjures up. They snap back open when there’s a gasp from behind them. Sam and Gabriel both turn to look at Lucifer. Either he’s a really good actor or he’s genuinely upset by Gabriel’s story. “What?” he cried incredulously, “Even I know that’s a cowardly thing to do.”

“This was roughly, what 9, 10 o'clock in the morning?” Jody asks as she makes a notation in her book.

“I’d say close to it. Maybe a little later.”

“And at anytime did you see any other boats?”

“No, not one, but there were times, the longer I was out there, that I may have blacked out. My head h-hurt and it was so cold.” Sam thinks back to how blue his lips were and how violently he shook that first night. He leans forward again and wraps his arm around his shoulder. It’s awkward with the the high wings of the chair but it’ll have to do. Gabriel grasps at the hand hanging from his left shoulder and presses it against his body, much like he’d done that first night they laid together.

“Sam, can you tell me what led up to you finding Gabriel?”

“Of course. I was out alone, I’d stopped for a brief snack and ended up falling asleep in my cabin.”

“Forgive me, I don’t really know much about boating. Did you just let yourself float along?”

“Basically, yes. I’d dropped my sea anchor which is kind of a free floating anchor that slows your drifting.”

“Was that because you were too far out to drop an anchor to the bottom?”

“Exactly. It was getting late and I needed to get back to my island I was planning to camp out at for the night.”

“And about what time was this?”

“Around 4pm. I was just about to leave when movement caught my eye but I didn’t see anything on my first cursory look. I’d convinced myself I saw a fish. Something made me look one last time and that’s when I saw a flash of red. I had to pull out my binoculars but there he was. I-Jesus, Gabriel, I was so close to leaving, my hand was on the accelerator! What if-”

“Hey, hey, Sam, no what if. I’m right here because of you.”

Sam’s voice is husky from the sudden formation of unshed tears at the back of his throat, “Right.” He blows out hard through his lips and touches Gabriel’s cheek as further reassurance to his brain that he really is there. “Right, okay, well when I first drew closer I couldn’t tell if he was even-”

“Alive?” Jody supplies when the word becomes stuck in Sam’s throat, caught in the tears threatening to shed over how close he was to never have had the chance to meet Gabriel.

“I turned off the engine and called out to him as I approached the stern.”

“I never heard a thing,” if Sam hadn’t been so close to Gabriel’s face he’d never would have caught his words. He turns to him now and waits, giving him the chance to say more, they’ve never talked about this. “I was done. I’d made my peace with the Dude upstairs and I was out of fight.” Sam glances up at Cain and he understands the fear and agony he sees play across his face.

Sam doesn’t care who’s sitting there with them, he hooks his arm tighter around Gabriel’s neck and pulls until his lips are able to meet his temple. His eyes close as he remains pressed to his soft hair for several seconds. He swears he can hear the thump of Gabriel’s heart and it’s enough. He adds more space between them and continues his narrative. “I heard a soft groan and next I know he’s slipping below the surface.”

Sam pauses as Cain covers his face and Gabriel takes over with a forced humorous tone, “Hasselhoff here dove right in, pulled me to the deck then gave me one of the best kisses I’ve ever had, it’s a real shame I repaid the favor by puking in his mouth.”

“Jesus, Gabriel!” Sam echoes his earlier cry but this time it’s on a choked laugh as he sits back into his chair, suddenly feeling bone tired.

“Stick with him and I imagine you’ll be saying that often,” Cain comments as he gazes at his son.

“Quick work, Sam. Not everyone is able to act that fast in a crisis.”

“Sam’s not _everyone_ , not to mention he’s a pro.”

“What Gabriel means is I’m a trained EMT, I work well under pressure.”

“Sam, do you think you could remember the rough coordinates of where you found Gabriel?”

“I can do better than rough. My boat has a computer that tracks every trip I take. When I’m back home I’ll go through it and get you the exact numbers.”

As Jody stands, she pulls out a business card, writes something on the back then hands it to Sam, “That's my personal cell. I don’t care what time it is, give me a call when you have them. Knowing the starting point may help us figure out which way Ischim went.”

Sam glances down at the card then slides it into his back pocket, “Of course.”

“Whats the best way to reach you in case I have any follow up questions?”

“I can give you my cell and land line,” he accepts Jody’s notebook and scrawls out his numbers. “Gabriel’s phone was a little water logged.”

Gabriel snorts loudly, “You sound like me.”

Cain sees Jody to the door after she gives Gabriel another brief hug.

“She’s kind of great,” Sam comments as he watches the Sherriff leave the room and Alfie walk back into the room.

“Yeah, Dad and Jody’ve been friends for years. They both kind of climbed their respective ranks together.”

“Gabriel, per your father’s request I had your food delivered but I didn’t want to interrupt,” Alfie hands Gabriel a white take out bag.

“No worries, Alfie, they’re cold subs. It’s fine if they sit.”

“Can I get you anything else?”

“No this is plenty. Thanks.” He smiles at his Dad’s assistant but it’s clear it’s forced, he’s tired and Sam’s itching to get him out of there. He leads Gabriel by the arm towards the door.

As they pass by Lucifer, his arms are spread again and he moves in to hug Gabriel. Sam feels Gabriel stiffen under his hand and he’s ready to intervene when Gabriel takes care of it himself, “Not this time, Luci,” he holds his hand out towards his brother, “I’ve had enough from you.” He doesn’t look at him and he doesn’t acknowlege his cry of “What’d I do?” Instead he walks to his father.

“Dad, I gotta-”

“I understand.” Cain tells him as he hesitates then pulls Gabriel into a hug, Gabriel seems to sag against his father as Cain’s eyes close then open again. “I love you, son. Thank God you’re alright.”

“I’ll, uh, call you tomorrow.”

“I’d appreciate that,” he pats the back of Gabriel’s head then lets him go, “sooner if you need anything. Anything at all." His eyes widen and he scurries to his desk, opens the top drawer and pulls out a set of keys. "These were on the boat. She's back in her dock if you need anything."

“I don't think I'll be rushing out there anytime soon but thanks for the keys,” he pats the front pocket of his shorts.

As Sam is following Gabriel out the door, Cain stops him with one hand on his arm and another held out, “I don’t have the words,” he starts as he shakes Sam’s hand, “just, keep doing what you’re doing. I feel like he’s in good hands with you.”

Sam nods his head as Cain relinquishes his hand and arm, “I’ll do my best, Sir.”

The moment the elevator doors close, Gabriel’s shoulders sag and he stumbles backward to lean against the wall.

“I’m real proud of you, that took guts in there.”

The doors are open and Gabriel has yet to move. Sam gathers him under his arm and walks him to the exit. “What can I-”

“Just get me out of here.”

“That I can do.”

Gabriel pulls two sets of keys from his pocket and holds them out for Sam, a clear tremor in his hand is slowly making its way up his arm, “My apartment's only a few blocks away, I don’t think I can drive, can I just give you directions?”

“You don’t even need to ask,” Sam snaps the keys until the key for the door is withdrawn. He unlocks Gabriel’s door and helps him get in. Sam follows his directions and the ride is short but long enough for Sam’s anxiety to be on high alert. He needs to calm himself down before they arrive because he’s watching Gabriel from the corner of his eye as he fights his own unraveling.

"Whats with that woman, what was her name, Josie?"

Gabriel lets out a soft laugh, "Yeah her and my Dad've been fucking for months. He's under the impression that Luci and I, well actually anyone who's in the same room as them, isn't aware of the fact."

"What does she do?"

"You mean besides shine his knob?"

Sam shakes his head, he has to admit he's starting to really love his sense of humor, theres something very refreshing about it. "Sure, we'll go with that."

"She's technically his Executive Assistant but on occasion, she writes for the buisness section."

"Now _that's_ boring," Sam says, referring to Gabriel's earlier description of his position.

"Tell me about it but she seems to get off on all those DOW numbers and stock market shit. I don't get it but I'm not one to kink shame anyone."

"To each his own, I suppose."

The conversation only acts as a distraction for a short while, and by the time they've pulled into the parking lot of Gabriel’s building, it's clear to Sam he's haveing a rough time keeping his emotions in check. Sam opens Gabriel’s door and bites his lower lip when he finds him rocking in his seat, the movement is subtle but it’s there. His hands tapping on his thighs and his breathing is shallow.

“Gabriel,” Sam calls softly.

He jumps when Sam touches his shoulder and he immediately apologizes, “Sorry, Sam, oh hey, you found it,” he deadpans as he looks out the windshield towards his building.

“Come on, lets get you inside.”

Gabriel’s feet seem to tangle as he climbs out and Sam catches him before he hits the pavement, arms around his ribcage. “Fuck, there you go saving my ass again, Sam.” His words hitch over Sam’s name and his shoulder sags against Sam’s chest as his head hangs forward.

Sam turns him until he’s able to give him a proper hug, easily holding his weight as he finally lets go. “Your safe now, Gabe. You’ve done so good.” Gabriel fists Sam’s shirt where it covers his back as he cries into his chest. Sam holds him close and nuzzles his nose into his hair. “You’re such an incredible man. I don’t think I’d be strong enough to go through what you have.”

Sam continues to speak softly to Gabriel as he rubs light circles over his back and kisses his head until his tears dissipate and his breathing slows. “We’ve been spending an awful lot of time in parking lots today, Sam. Isn’t that kind of lame? Surly you’ve had better dates than today.”

Sam smiles, not at Gabriel’s words but at the teasing tone that’s returned to his voice. Sam runs his hands down the side of Gabriel’s face, wiping aways some of the dampness. “It’s the best I’ve ever had. I’m just happy to be here with you.”

Gabriel rolls his eyes but he smiles up at Sam, giving him a peek at his dimples. He grabs the take-out bag from the seat, “Well, at least we don’t have to worry about scrounging up a meal. I’m thinking my cupboards are even more bare than yours.”

Sam pockets his truck keys and hands Gabriel his set, “Take me to your bedroom, uh I mean, your apartment,” Sam wags his eyebrows and grins down at Gabriel before giving him a kiss.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have a little smut and fluff.

“This’s nice, Gabriel.” Sam comments as Gabriel closes the door to his apartment.

“Were you expecting something along the lines of Elvis’s jungle room?”

Sam rolls his eyes, “No, what I meant was, I can _feel_ you when I walk in.” He kicks his sandals off and leaves them to lay next to Gabriel’s just inside the door. “You want to eat now?” Sam asks, pointing to the bag in Gabriel’s hand. Sam’s stomach is still wound tightly after hearing Gabriel recount his story but he’ll eat with Gabriel if that’s what he wants to do.

“I plan to eat alright, you go ahead and snoop all you want. The good stuff is up there,” Gabriel wags his eyebrows at Sam as he points upward to the loft that, Sam guesses, holds his bed then walks to the kitchen.

Sam takes a quick look around the open room, the kitchen area is to the right, straight ahead, under the low ceiling of the loft, is a couch, chair, coffee table and entertainment center.

“Bathroom upstairs?”

“Affirmative.”

Sam climbs the short staircase to find Gabriel’s red and grey covered bed with its sturdy headboard, a television mounted to the wall and a low dresser. After using the toilet, he washes his hands, refrains from snooping in his drawers but he does give in and peek into the shower. He realizes he's only ever smelled saltwater and his own shampoo on Gabriel and he’s curious. Curiosity burns into desire when he takes a whiff. The clean, citrus is nice on it’s own but Sam’s imagining it emitting off Gabriel’s shower flush skin and he feels the need to be close to Gabriel _right now_.

In his haste, he skips over several stairs on the way down. When he rounds the corner of the kitchen wall he finds Gabriel perched on a stool at the counter, shirtless. He hops off the stool and closes the space between them. His stride oozing cocky confidence from every pore.

“I, uh, thought we were going to-”

“I said I planned to _eat_ , I didn’t say sandwiches.” He steps closer, no part of their body, save for the air coming from Sam in short puffs, touches but he’s close enough that he has to tilt his chin up to look into Sam’s eyes. The same jutting chin that Sam wants to bite anytime he’s near it. “And Sam, I hope you feel me more often then when you first walk into my apartment.” He takes one of Sam’s hands and presses it over the hard line of his cock.

Sam’s throat clicks as he swallows and his fingers curl, “I actually, I uh meant your pr-presence. I felt your pre-”

“And you say I talk too much, fucking kiss me already.”

His command has the air from Sam’s lungs deflating as the heat in his gut flares. He latches onto Gabriel’s mouth and presses his tongue into his mouth, groaning as his hand begins to rub and he feels Gabriel’s hands slide past the waistband of his shorts to cover his bare ass.

“Fuck me, you taste so good,” Sam moans against his mouth, not even removing his tongue from Gabriel’s mouth to speak.

Gabriel pulls his hands free and tugs at Sam’s shirt then pulls it off him as he walks him backwards until his back is flat against the wall. “I like to do that very thing, if you’re offering.”

Sam nods his head, unable to speak.

“I’m a stickler on consent here, Sam.”

“Y-yeah, yes. Yes I’m offering, begging, asking politely. Whatever it takes. I want to ride you until I know I’ll still feel you tomorrow.”

Gabriel grabs a hold of Sam’s wrists, pins them to the wall level with his shoulders then takes his nipple between his teeth. Sam hisses and his hips buck forward. He’s never given any thought to this part of his body before but that’s going to change now. The sharp pain sends spikes of arousal through Sam’s groin and he slams his head to the wall.

Gabriel rolls the hardened nub between his teeth then soothes the sting away with a swirl of his hot tongue. He releases the, now purple, nipple and leaves Sam panting. He makes his way to the other nipple, leaving a trail of red rings in his wake where he sucks at the skin over his pecs before giving the same attention to the other side.

Gabriel slides off Sam’s wrist until he touches the wall and continues further down as he kisses and sucks over Sam’s stomach. Sam pivots his elbows until his hands are flat against the wall. He wants to reach out and touch Gabriel. Wants to fist his hair and smooth over the surface of his shoulders.

He’s watching the way his skin dances from the movement of his shoulder blades. The blisters that were once on the back of his neck and covering his forearms have faded, the skin starting to peel away to reveal a fresh layer. He wants to touch it all but his hands remain glued to the wall as if Gabriel’s still holding them in place.

With each press of Gabriel’s soft lips to his stomach, his cock aches just a little more and his hips squirm, looking for the briefest of contact. His knees start to buckle but he catches himself when a tongue dips low into his naval followed by the sting of teeth pulling at the skin around it. The stubble of Gabriel’s face is rough and it drags across Sam’s skin making him cry out his name. Now his fingertips dig at the wall because they long to touch Gabriel’s face.

“Sam,” the vibrations from Gabriel’s throat dance over the lower half of Sam’s stomach, the soft area below his belly button. The area so close to his cock that’s straining painfully against the zipper of his cargo shorts. “Sam,” he repeats, “I want you to go upstairs, remove all these pesky clothes, and lie down on the bed for me.”

Sam’s hips still and his fingers relax against the wall at Gabriel’s simple request. Or was it a command? Sam isn’t sure but this is purley a technicality to him because either way, he plans to follow through.

His head nods as he stammers, “Yeah, good, yup, I can do that.”

Gabriel straightens up and presses his lips to Sam’s, the only part of their bodies touching is over soft lips. “Now, Sam.”

Sam blinks once then heads for the stairs. By the time he reaches the top, his shorts and boxers are sliding to his feet. He kicks them to the side so Gabriel doesn’t trip on them then crawls onto the bed. Gabriel didn’t tell him how he wanted him so he chooses to lay on his back, mirroring how Gabriel’d positioned him downstairs. His elbows are bent, hands near his ears. One leg is flat while the other knee is bent, foot flat on the comforter. His hips are shifting under their own accord and he’s fighting the urge to take himself in hand

One hand finds its way to his stomach and is slowly sliding down when Gabriel emerges at the top of the stairs. His hand snaps back into place and a soft moan falls from his lips. Gabriel’s shorts are gone but he’s still wearing boxer briefs. It takes a moment of Sam studying the article of blue cloth to realize they're _his_ boxer briefs. The idea Gabriel chose to put Sam’s underwear on over pulling his own out of the drier this morning makes Sam feel another surge of arousal.

He follows Gabriel’s gaze to where it’s locked on Sam’s cock. It’s flushed a deep red color, the veins standing out in sharp contrast and the beads of precome at the head are glistening.

Gabriel stops at the foot of the bed and Sam squirms as he feels Gabriel’s eyes roam his body. He crawls up the bed, kissing and dragging his tongue as he goes. He gives each nipple a flick before surging up and covering Sam’s mouth.

He melts into the mattress as Gabriel’s warm tongue slides in sweetly. He’s missed the taste of him and he doesn’t even notice when Gabriel settles his full weight over him, his full concentration is on the roll of his tongue and Gabriel’s fingers in his hair.

That concentration shatters when Gabriel grinds down with his hips. The drag of the silk against his hot cock as Sam seeing white stars. “Fuck!” he cries as his thighs press against Gabriel where he lies between his legs and his wrists break free of their invisible cuffs to grab at Gabriel’s head and back.

The curve of Gabriel’s lips is against Sam’s neck, “You feel what you do to me, Sam? I want to make you feel good. I want to hear you chant my name. Will you let me do that?”

In response, Gabriel’s name rides on a long, low moan.

“What do you like, Sam?”

Sam’s eyes open and his fingers go to Gabriel’s chin and lifts, “You,” he tells him simply. Something akin to confusion passes over Gabriel’s face. “Just you,” Sam repeats. When the hesitation remains, Sam wonders if it’s not the words but the meaning and Sam receives confirmation on something he’s suspected all along. Gabriel’s bravado and cocky attitude is all afront.

He cups Gabriel’s face and lets his thumbs slide over his cheek bones, “I like you. You’re making me feel good just by being here with me. Just kissing you makes me want to chant your name.”

“I’m still not convinced I’m sitting at the bottom of the ocean and this is heaven.”

Their mouths are joined briefly before his weight completely disappears. Sam’s eyes pop open to be met with the view of Gabriel’s blue ass as he digs in the small cubby underneath the table next to the bed.

When he comes back around to face Sam, his face is flushed as red as Sam’s cock. He drops a condom and lube onto the bed then takes his position atop Sam but this time it’s his legs that are parted in a wide V. He slips his hand under Sam’s shoulder as Sam reengages him in a kiss.

Sam grows light headed as Gabriel rolls them until Sam is on top, looking down into Gabriel’s thick caramel eyes. “Holy shit,” he mutters before returning to the kiss.

“Oops, I forgot to take my underwear off, care to help me out, Sam?”

Again, Sam’s happily snapping to attention, grateful to hear the self assured tone return. He hums happily as his hands skim in wide circles and his mouth trails down his body. He hooks his fingers under the waistband, pausing long enough to suck over the damp cloth, groaning as Gabriel’s fingers slide into his hair. He pulls them past his hips and moves to kiss up his shaft but firm fingers halt his decent.

“Come up here, Sam. I told you I planned to eat and I’m starved.”

Understanding coils tightly in Sam’s stomach as he crawls back up Gabriel’s body. “How-” he starts, craving the direction he wasn’t aware he needed until this very moment.

Thankfully, Gabriel’s all too happy to provide. “Sit on my chest,” he tells him as he pats over his chest. “Really? I don’t want to suffocate you.”

“I’m a big boy, even I can handle a Moose of a man like you.”

Regretting the fact he even questioned him, Sam obliges. He straddles his chest, boxing in his rib cage with his bent knees, facing the foot of the bed, he keeps most of his weight on his legs. He’s also grateful they took extra care this morning in the shower. Just the memory of Gabriel’s soap slicked fingers sliding over his hole has him bending at the waist and moaning as his face stops inches from the tops of Gabriel’s thighs, more of his weight transferring to his braced hands.

“Damn, Sam, you are a beauty to behold.” He emphasizes his point when he grabs a hold of each cheek and grips them tight. “Scoot back further, I’m growing very impatient.”

Sam’s nearly panting and it takes him a second to gather enough strength to transfer his weight to his knuckles so he can slide his knees backward. “So good. Very good, Sam. Hmmm, yes.” The near pant morphs into a fully punched out “uh” when Gabriel parts his cheeks and gives him one long lick that starts at the base of his cock to the bottom curve of his back.

The little oxygen Sam’s able to draw in is punched from him when he feels a splatter of wet hit his entrance followed by a speared tongue. Sam cries out when Gabriel moans directly into his hole and his hands holding his cheeks apart squeeze tightly. He can feel the flesh bunch in his wide hands and he can’t help but rock back on his knees.

Gabriel’s cock lies curled against his stomach and it brushes against Sam’s chest as he rocks backwards. The contact makes Gabriel pull back and bite down hard over Sam’s cheek. This only spurs Sam on. He curses, not for the first time in his life, his height but with an arch of his back he’s able to bring his face closer to his hard cock. He braces his weight on one hand to grab a hold of Gabriel, only to drop to his elbow as a finger slides in next to Gabriel’s tongue. “Fuck-fuck-fuck,” Sam chants before trying again.

With the hand wrapped tightly around Gabriel, he pulls him forward and licks over the wet head. The salty taste zings over his tongue and he grins as his lips slide over his head earlier then planned when Gabriel arches up. He isn’t able to deep throat him like he’d like to, he isn’t Gumby after all, but he’s going to give his head the most attention he’s able while Gabriel works his magic mouth on his ass.

Much to Sam’s dismay, or maybe not, he’s unable to multitask long. By the time Gabriel’s worked his way up to two fingers, he’s turned Sam into a moaning, mewling, heap, barely able to hold off his growing orgasm. “Gabe, I can’t, I’m going, Gabe f-fuck please.”

A slight cold settles over Sam as the heat of Gabriel’s mouth leaves. “Someday I will follow through but not today.” He gives Sam’s ass one more bite followed by a slap over the bite. Sam reaches down and grabs his cock and holds tight at the base. “I think you’re aiming to kill me,” he groans as Gabriel slides out from under him then drapes his body over Sam’s where he remains hunched, his knees tucked under his body.

“Not kill you big man, just pull you apart piece by piece.” Sam moans Gabriel’s name and starts to stroke himself. Not enough to chase his orgasm, just a lazy slide to give some relief. “Now, I believe you said something about riding me until you felt it tomorrow?” Gabriel’s breath is hot against his cheek before he nibbles at the cartilage of Sam’s ear.

“Thanks for the reminder,” Sam huffs out as he spins on his knees, grabs Gabriel’s shoulders and drops them both to the bed with his forward motion. He aligns their hips, grinds their cocks together then swallows down Gabriel’s cry of his name. His first lick across Gabriel’s tongue has him rocking their bodies together faster. When Gabriel mentioned not getting off on tasting himself on other’s mouths, Sam failed to tell him he did in fact get off on that.

Sam gropes for the bottle of lube blindly and is just about to break their kiss to look when his fingers brush the hard plastic, he palms it and the condom. He savors the glide of their bodies a moment longer, the slick of precome and sweat between them making the movement all that much more delicious.

On a groan, he sits back onto Gabriel’s thighs, drops the condom onto his chest, coats his palm with lube, snaps the cap into place then tosses it aside. Once the condom’s rolled into place,Gabriel’s hands grip at Sam’s knees as Sam coats his covered cock with slick. After several strokes, he braces at the base and lines himself up.

He slides onto his head slowly, biting his bottom lip as it pops past his ring of muscle. His body takes time to accept the intrusion, it’s been quite some time since Sam’s done this with a non-silicone appendage. It’s slow going but Sam’s patient and the burn is fucking fantastic. He holds Gabriel’s eyes as he allows his weight to speed up his descent. His eyes slam shut once he bottoms out. He isn’t entirely sure if the trembling he feels is from Gabriel or his own thighs.

On a long exhale through pursed lips, he bends at the waist to kiss Gabriel, giving them both time to adjust. “So tight,” Gabriel comments on a strangled voice. “Trying so hard not to blow right now.”

“You’re so fucking thick, I honestly don’t know how long I’ll last.”

“How about we chase each other, see who falls first?”

“Oh this so fucking on, Milton.” Sam gives Gabriel one more kiss then straightens up. He lifts his body until Gabriel’s head catches then lets himself fall back down with the full weight of his body. They both cry out in unison and Sam grinds in filthy little circles as his hands touch over Gabriel’s chest.

Gabriel arches up into Sam’s tight chanel, angling his hips in search of, “Ah, fuck!” Sam cries as his cock head brushes over his prostate. “Found you!” smirks Gabriel.

“Show me what you got, Stretch!” Gabriel grunts as Sam lifts up then slams back down.

Never one to pass up a challenge, Sam tightens up his core and works into a steady rhythm of bouncing on Gabriel. He starts off bracing his hands on Gabriel’s chest but once he finds his groove, he pulls his hands off his chest, one rests over Gabriel’s on his thigh, the other strokes his cock.

“Sam, Sam you’re so fucking gorgeous. Ugh, ah, I wish you could see yourself. I want to lick every groove of that smooth stomach. Huh, huh, Sam-Sam so hot and tight. So good. These thighs, ride that cock, Baby. Shit, this isn’t fair.” He suddenly sits up but Sam never loses his balance. He shifts his weight back to his knees and wraps his arms up Gabriel’s back and hooks his hands onto his shoulders and continues to roll his hips.

“Gabe, kiss me,” Sam pants into Gabriel’s neck.

Sam’s body shifts as Gabriel frog-legs his knees to better support Sam then he cups Sam’s face and looks up into his eyes. His stare is intense and Sam’s rocking slows as he sees something flicker in Gabriel’s eyes. He isn’t sure what it was but the way Gabriel’s holding him it makes him feel...cherished.

Despite how close they both are to cusping that edge, despite the fire burning between them, their kiss is gentle, void of any sign of urgency. Sam knows it’s too damn soon to be thinking what he’s thinking but he feels it all the same. It’s still too soon to even admit it to himself but he does know one thing for certain, no matter what happens tomorrow or even later today, Gabriel Milton will always have his heart.

“Hey,” Gabriel tells him softly as they break apart and Sam rocks in his lap, “I’m supposed to be making you feel good and here you are doing all the work.” He brushes the damp hair off Sam’s forehead and gives him that crooked smile that makes Sam’s heart miss a beat every time he sees it.

“Do ya hear me complaining?”

“Lay down for me, Sam.”

Unable to ignore Gabriel’s request, Sam lifts up onto his knees and pulls off, leaving his body aching at the emptiness

“Hey, what’s with the face? You doing okay?”

“More than okay,” Sam runs a hand over Gabriel’s face in an attempt to wipe away the worry lines that’ve appeared, “just sad to feel you gone.”

“Oh, well, I’m not going anywhere.” He applies more lubricant as Sam lays down onto his back as instructed but Gabriel grasps his shoulder and rolls him onto his side. Before he can even wonder what his plan is, Gabriel’s lying down along his back.

He feels him prodding his entrance before sliding home in one smooth push. “Ahh,” Sam cries out at the new angle as his sweet spot is hit right away. “Ah, shit, Gabriel, there, damn.” Sam’s arm flies up to grab at Gabriel’s head as he curls his body around Sam’s back. His thrusts are sporadic but Sam doesn’t care. The only thing hes aware of his the heat of Gabriel’s body warming him straight to his core. His mouth is hot on his neck, kisses broken by soft words of endearment. “Beautiful, so good, and mine,” wash over Sam.

Sam pulls his top knee close to his chest, opening himself up more for Gabriel to push in deeper, he holds his thigh up for several thrusts, he gives no regard to the needy sounds coming from his mouth. His hand, so close to his cock cletches into a fist because he wants to grab himself but then this will end. He isn’t ready for this feeling to go away. This feeling of being cared for, of being...well he can’t go there yet.

The drag of Gabriel’s cock deep within his walls, sliding with just the perfect amount of friction, bumping his prostate, his mouth on his neck, his hand carressing his hip and arm is overwhelming and he can’t fight it anymore. His hand drops from behind his knee and he wraps his fingers around his hot and hard cock. The first contact has him hissing through his teeth and moaning out Gabriel’s name long and low. “Gabe, I’m gonna, fuck you feel so good, huh-huh.”

The final thing to push Sam over isn’t a bite to his neck, dirty words spoken in his ear or even a deep thrust. What finally makes Sam’s body seize and bow into Gabriel is one strong arm wrapping around his chest and pulling him close. Knowing someone is there for him, knowing someone, finally, and in every sense of the word, has his back.

Sam’s face turns into the comforter as his eyes slam shut as wave after wave of pleasure skyrockets through his body. He feels the warm cum, thick and milky hit his chest and slide down his tight fist.

The comforting weight of Gabriel’s arm on his chest leaves to support his leg. Sam’s hand leaves his spent cock as Gabriel gently lowers his leg to the bed. He continues to thrust into Sam but at a languid roll, paying attention instead to Sam’s well being. He doesn’t remember anyone ever taking time like this. He pries his eyes open and turns awkwardly against Gabriel's chest. He pulls out gently and shifts his body up in order to kiss Sam.

As the kiss ends, he rolls Sam onto his back and runs a hand over his face, “You doing okay?”

In answer, Sam reaches up and cups the back of Gabriel’s head, his hair is just as damp as Sam’s and he greedily digs his fingers in as he pulls their mouths together for a dirty kiss. Without breaking contact, Gabriel moves between Sam’s knees as he spreads them wide for him. Sam tugs at Gabriel’s head but keeps their faces close, “Now show me what you got, Gabriel,” Sam throws Gabriel’s own words back at him as he pulls his knees to his chest, giving him full access.

For the third and final time, Gabriel breaches Sam’s hole. The burn is more intense as he sets up a steady rhythm but it’s completely worth it to Sam to see the pleasure ripple over Gabriel’s face. His chest is glistening with sweat and flushed red all the way to his ears. His mouth hangs open as he pants out Sam’s name. His head occasionally falls back, making Sam wish he could run his tongue over his neck.

As his thrusts grow jerky and his moaning deepens, Sam lets his feet drop flat to the bed. “Gabriel, I want to feel you come on me.”

Gabriel’s chin lifts from his chest, his pupils are wide and black but he still takes another moment to search out Sam’s face. Sam nods his head, “Yeah, I want that,” he answers Gabriel's silent question.

“F-fuck.” His hips lean back as he pulls free, he stripes off the condom, swipes his palm through the seed just starting to dry on Sam’s chest then fists his cock.

If Sam were a younger man, that right there would’ve had his cock filling rapidly. Knowing his cum is stroking along Gabriel’s cock, coupled with watching him stroke himself has Sam moaning Gabriel’s name. “God damn, you’re so fucking hot.”

At the sound of Sam’s voice, Gabriel’s mouth drops open on a silent cry and his free hand braces his body on Sam’s bent knee as his body curls around his cock. A short “huh” sound punches out with each arc of cum. “Yes, Gabriel, so good.” He waits for Gabriel’s eye to open before running a finger through the thick cream and sticks his finger into his mouth. “Mmmm, so good.”

“Fuck!” Gabriel cries as his cock pulses and another small bead milks out his cock head. He falls forward over Sam’s body. He catches his weight on his hands but Sam’s ready for him, he grabs his shoulders and shifts him until they’re both comfortable. A tangle of arms and legs, with hearts pounding, breath panting and cum drying between them. Neither have ever been so happy or content.

 

Through his post coital, warm haze, Sam groans his protest when Gabriel disentangles them, “Shh, I’m not going far.” True to his word, a moment later, the bed dips with his return and with it, a warm cloth wiping at Sam’s chest and gently between his cheeks. He opens his eyes and sees his underwear laying near his outstretched hand.

He rolls into Gabriel and gathers him into his arms, “Trying to cover me up already?”

Gabriel nuzzles his nose into Sam’s neck, “If it were up to me, I’d burn all your clothes. I just set them there in case you wanted them.”

Sam’s fingers comb through Gabriel’s hair then scratch through his ever growing beard when he lifts his chin for a kiss. Gabriel’s mouth is minty fresh from newly brushed teeth, such a gentleman, Sam thinks.

“You should probably get going before we fall asleep,” Gabriel sighs as he burrows against Sam’s side.

“Where am I going? I thought you were kidding when you said you were a love em and leave em guy.”

“Don’t you want to get home?”

“Fuck no, I’m not going anywhere. I told you already, good luck shaking me loose.”

“In that case, we should eat. I’m starved.” He kisses Sam’s collar bone then sits up, “Want to eat up here in bed?”

Sam sits up and grabs his underwear, “Nay, if I stay here I’m going to fall asleep.”

“Take your time, shower if you want. I put a fresh toothbrush out for you. I’ll meet you downstairs.” He picks up Sam’s shorts and tosses them onto the bed. “If you insist,” he smirks before heading down the stairs.

He finds Gabriel setting two plates onto the breakfast bar. Each holds a huge sub sandwich and a pile of potato chips. “Beer or water?”

“Better go with water, someone drained me of 90% of my bodily fluids.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I get the feeling you’re kind of a granola,” he sets two bottles of water down onto the counter then takes a seat next to Sam.

“Why do you say that?”

“Cause you’re eyeing that sandwich up like it’s laced with Botulism.”

Sam lets out a short, “heh heh,” sounding laugh, “I have your dad playing on a loop in my head, 'That sandwich with the salami that drips with oil.' You gotta admit that sounds a bit...unappealing.”

“Hey, don’t knock it til you try it.” He barks out a laugh when Sam curls his lip at him.

“Come on, if you don’t like it I can make you a frozen pizza. What?” he asks when Sam pokes at the sandwich, “Don’t you trust me?”

“Oh now that’s playing dirty,” he cries as he relents and picks up the thick french bread. He gives Gabriel one last look then sinks his teeth in. Oil tinged with mayo along with a few pieces of shredded lettuce, drips from the end of the sandwich.

Gabriel waits for Sam to swallow. “Well?”

Sam glances over and accepts the napkin Gabriel’s holding out for him, “I admit it’s really good. I can almost feel my arteries hardening as we speak but I like it. What’s in it anyway, or is it better if I remain ignorant?”

Gabriel speaks around a large mouthful, “Salami, capicola, ham, provolone, lettuce, tomato, mayo and an olive oil balsamic vinegar dressing. I used to say it was the most satisfying nine inches I’ve ever had but I can’t say that anymore.”

Sam chokes on his next bite. “Nine?” he manages to cry out between coughing. Gabriel opens his bottle of water and hands it to him, not bothering to hide his smug look of satisfaction.

“Do you even know how long th-you know what, nevermind!” He cries as he waits for another coughing fit to pass, “And also, you haven’t actually “had” me yet.”

“I had you in my mouth and it was quite satisfying, thank you. I’ll just add one more comment than I’ll drop it but I’ll remind you my evening’s free if you’d care to make that statement accurate.”

Sam clears his throat one more time, grins and leans over to kiss Gabriel on the cheek, “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“I just remembered seeing one of those mini blenders on your counter.”

“Nutribullet?”

“Yeah that. Does that mean you do those gross smoothies with all the veggies and shit?”

“Like you said, don’t knock it til you try it.”

“Liquified broccoli and spinach. MMM, glad I’m finished with my sandwich,” he tells Sam sarcastically with an exaggerated shudder of his shoulders.

“They taste much better than they look,” Sam comments as he wipes his mouth and picks up the last of his sandwich. “I was about to offer to make you one yesterday before…” he lets his voice fade.

Gabriel’s air is pulled from his sails and he visibly deflates, “Yeah, before.”

“Hey, I’m going to make you one tomorrow and I promise you you’ll like it,” he pauses and and ducks his head, trying to grab Gabriel’s attention, when he finally looks over Sam smiles at him warmly, “or at the very least I’ll promise you won’t want to gag.”

It takes him a moment but Gabriel returns his smile, it’s soft but he still seems downcast. Sam runs his hand over the back of Gabriel’s hair then returns to his food.

“You’re disappointed in me, aren’t you?”

“What?” Gabriel’s sudden question has Sam spinning in his stool to the left, making their knees bump. “Wh-why would you say that?”

Gabriel's last chip’s hanging loosely from his finger and thumb and he starts to tap it lightly on the empty plate, “I didn’t tell Jody Luci was the one to give me Ishim’s name.”

“Oh, that. No.” Sam tells him firmly, “I’m not disappointed in you. At all. I’m just-”

“Think I’m being a coward?”

“No!”

“Well, I do. I just can’t believe he’s capable of doing something like that.”

“If you ask me, that guy seemed guiltier than his Biblical counterpart.”

“Yeah, well, no one asked you, Sam.”

Sam’s jaw snaps closed on his next comment, the words dying in his throat. Gabriel’s face falls lax and his head drops into his hands, “Fuck.”

“Fair enough,” Sam says quietly as he tosses his bunched up napkin onto the counter and swings his legs to the right and gets off the stool.

“No, Sam! It’s not fair, I’m so sorry, that was a dick thing to say!” his voice makes it clear how distraught he’s feeling as he watches Sam leave his stool. He covers his face with his hands again and mutters against his palms, “My big fucking mouth always manages to fuck everything good up.”

Sam steps up behind him, slides his hands around his ribcage and bends to kiss the soft spot right behind Gabriel’s ear lobe where his jaw hinges. “I’m the one that should be apologizing. I’m sorry, you’re right. This isn’t about me. I’m just worried for your safety.”

Sam shifts as Gabriel sits up and turns into Sam’s chest, “I don’t want to be the one to send my brother to jail,” he says weakly.

“If he’s guilty than he’s done that to himself, not you.”

“There’s that as well. What if he isn’t guilty and I’ve outright accused him? That would abliderate what little good we’ve build these last few years, not to mention,” he adds as he lifts his head from Sam’s chest, “how that would affect my Dad. They’re the only family I have, Sam. I can’t be jumping the gun on this.”

And fuck all if Sam doesn’t feel these words straight to his marrow. He presses his lips to the top of Gabriel’s head, leaving them linger several seconds before pulling back, “You’re absolutely right. I’m so sorry, Babe. I want to help but I’m making it harder on you instead.” He grabs Gabriel’s empty plate and slides his plate, full of chips, in its place.

When he starts to step away, Gabriel grabs Sam’s wrist and looks up into his face. Sam’s heart clenches at the dark smudges and the worry lines etched at the edges, “You are helping me, Sam. I couldn’t have done that today without you at my side.”

“You’re a much stronger person than you give yourself credit for, Gabe.” He leans down and kisses the tip of his nose then walks around the counter to set the plate in the sink.

When Gabriel's finished with Sam's chips, Sam washes both plates and sets them in the drying rack. “What would you like to do?” He glances around Gabriel’s head as he approaches him at the sink, the microwave reads seven.

“It’s late enough that it’d be understandable if you wanted to turn in after the day you’ve had.”

“As beat as I am I don’t know if I could sleep. I should really work on that sketch for Jody.”

Sam’s leaning against the sink, hands on the counter at his hips. One leaves to brush over Gabriel’s arm as he sags against the edge adjacent to Sam, “How about I grab you a beer and we head over to your couch? If it would help to get that out of the way, then do that.”

“I think it will. It’s not like I'll ever forget his face but maybe if I pass it off to Jody I can start to forget about _him_.”

“Then it’s settled. You go find us something to watch and I’ll grab your beer. I’m guessing you have a stash of chocolate somewhere.”

“Of course I do,” he tells him as he walks away, “it’s already with my sketch pad in the living room.”

As the television comes on, Sam grabs a beer for Gabriel and another water for himself. He finds Gabriel in the living room area sitting on the floor with his legs crossed, back to the couch but not pressed against it, blank page and pencils spread out on the coffee table in front of him.

Gabriel nods his thanks when he sets the bottle in front of him him then cranes his neck around to watch Sam as he settles in behind him on the couch. “You doing okay, Sam?”

“I’m great, how can I not be? I have the best company and now I have a front row seat to watch you draw.”

“I saw you wince.”

“Oh, that.” He tips back his bottle of water and shrugs his shoulder, he doesn’t tell him how he enjoyed the zing of pain he felt as he sat down, “Told you, you’re thick. And also, I’m a little out of practice.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” he comments as he turns around and picks up a pencil, “and also,” he adds as he pats his shoulder in response to Sam’s first comment.

“Ha, you’re a dick.”

“Who’re you kidding? It’s what you love about me.”

“Damn right,” he replies casually when Gabriel’s shoulders tense. They slowly relax when Sam doesn’t make any further comment. “Hey! Cas and I’ve been trying for weeks to find time together to watch this!” Sam cries when the commercial on the screen ends.

“On the drive up here you mentioned how much you liked historical documentaries so I took a guess. If you want to wait to watch it with him the remotes right there on the end table.”

“You mean you were actually listening to me when I blathered on about the last Ken Burns documentary I watched?”

Gabriel turns around and looks at Sam like he’s grown a second head, “Of course I was. Why wouldn’t I?”

“I guess I’m just used to people tuning me out when I start talking about something even remotely educational.”

“Well that sucks. I may not always know what you’re talking about but I’m not about to tune you out.”

“Th-thanks, Gabriel.”

Gabriel shrugs his shoulder like what he just said didn’t pierce Sam directly in the heart and turns back to his drawing.

Sam stares at the back of Gabriel’s head, mouth open, wondering how he got so lucky. He snorts out a laugh and turns to the television when Gabriel cries out, “You’re gonna bore a hole in the back of my head.”

“Dick,” he mutters as he settles into the couch.

“That may be true but I'm _your_ dick.”

And that right there makes Sam want to whisk Gabriel away from this mess he’s in, squirrel him away in a protective bubble and never let him go.

 

Despite how much he’s enjoying the show on Vietnam, Sam finds his eyes slipping closed a second time as the end of the first hour draws near. He doesn’t even remember lying down. He sits up, turns the television off and drops to the floor beside Gabriel.

Gabriel doesn’t take notice as he adds, what appears to be, the final details of his drawing. Sam’s not ready to really look at the drawing yet, he doesn’t want to put a face to the monster that hurt Gabriel. Instead, he looks at the curve of his back and the muscles that flex as he draws. Unable to resist, he starts at the middle of Gabriel’s back and lays soft kisses over his jutting spinal column while his hands slide over his hip and thigh.

Gabriel shivers and lets out a humming sound. “I’m sorry, am I distracting you?” Sam asks sincerely.

“Not at all, it uh, feels nice.”

Now Sam’s the one humming as he makes his way up his back to the back of his neck. He rests his chin on Gabriel’s shoulder and lays his hands over his stomach. He takes a deep breath and looks at the picture.

The emotions run rampant in Sam as he takes in the sharp angles of his jaw and the hallow look to his eyes. His beard is trim and the shading Gabriel’s done clearly depicts areas of grey. He wants to hunt this person down and hurt him. 

“Hey,” Gabriel coos as his hands leave the table and cover Sam’s. “I’m okay, Sam. Feel,” he moves their hands up his chest to his heart, “it may not be thumping as hard as yours is at the moment but it’s going and,” he pulls in a deep breath, making their arms move, “I’m still sucking oxygen.”

“I know,” Sam’s voice is thick as he closes his eyes and turns into Gabriel’s neck, “I just keep thinking about how close I was to not seeing you. To think I never would’ve had the chance to know you. That this piece of shit could’ve killed you and for what? Fucking money?”

“Have I mentioned how turned on it makes me when you get all protective over me?”

“Gabriel, I’m serious!”

“So am I!” he moves their hands back down his body and into his lap where he is indeed sporting, a half hard cock.  

“You’re insatiable.”

“Apparently.”

He pushes the coffee table away and gets up on his knees in front of Sam. He brushes away the hair off his forehead and Sam feels his eyes briefly flutter shut when his warm fingers touch his skin.  “Sam, I'd go through all of that again if it meant being in this moment with you.”

Sam’s eyes grow wide but Gabriel cuts him off before he can speak, “I mean it Sam. I don’t know what's going to happen next. For all I know, tomorrow you’re going to go back home and I’ll never see you again but it was all worth it.” He straddles Sam’s lap, forcing him to straighten his legs and lean against the couch, “I can never thank you enough. Not only for finding me but for making me feel like I’m more than the sidekick in a buddy comedy.”

Again, Gabriel cuts Sam off but this time it’s with a long, sweet kiss. It lacks all heat and their hands move only enough to hold the other tighter. “I don’t know about you but I feel like I could sleep for a week,” Gabriel tells him on a sigh as he rests his forehead against Sam’s.

Sam’s hands run down Gabriel’s back and come to rest on his hips, “Me too.”

“Why don’t you shower while I scan this in and email it to Jody?”

“Only if you promise to join me.”

Gabriel lets out a soft chuckle as he climbs off his lap, “I’d like nothing more but my shower isn’t nearly as big as yours. We wouldn’t fit.”

“Then I guess I’ll just keep your side of the bed warm while it’s your turn.”

“Deal,” he tells him as he offers him a hand then pulls him to his feet.

A framed picture on the end table catches Sam's attention and he picks it up. "I was right, you do look like her."

"Who? My mom?"

"Yeah," Sam runs his fingers over the glass, tracing the shape of her face and the sharp arch of her eyebrows. They even have the same smoked whiskey eye color. "I was thinking about how you look nothing like your dad and I can almost see a resemblence with you and your brother. I kind of figured you both looked like your moms. She was beautiful." He sets the picture back down onto the table.

"She was, I just wish I knew her."

"Somehow, I have a feeling I do know her," Sam tells Gabriel as he leads him up the stairs.

 

The blanket hasn’t even settled over Gabriel’s body before Sam’s pulling him close and nuzzling his nose at his temple. His sinuses fill with the scent of grapefruit made sweet with _Gabriel_. He lets out a soft moan, “God I’ve been dying to take a hit of that since I first peeked into your shower.”

“Take it you approve?” he asks as he snuggles in closer to Sam’s chest.

“Delicious! It’s a shame I’m so damn tired,” he says around a loud yawn.

“I’m sure we can make up for it in the morning.”

“Hmm, good point. I look forward to it.”

It isn’t long before they’re both sleeping soundly and for the first time in a long time, Gabriel sleeps without nightmares.

 

@@@@

Sam’s dream, much to his bitter dismay, is chased away by the ringing of his phone. “What the hell?” he mutters into his pillow but then sits up when he realizes it’s Dean’s ring and he never calls unless it’s urgent.

“Sammy!” Dean barks in his ear so loudly it makes Gabriel twitch then sit up, “You failed to mention the fact you didn’t just “find a mermaid” you _rescued_ a merman!”

Sam rubs at his face, and fights through the fog of lingering sleep, “Dean,” he says sternly, “what're you talking about?”

“If you’d read my previous messages or turned on the damn news you’d know.”

“What?” he tips the phone away from his mouth, “Gabe, turn the tv on.”

“Huh,” Sam comments as Gabriel’s sketch fills the screen. “Gotta give Dad credit, he knows when to strike when the irons hot,” Gabriel mutters beside him as he turns up the volume.

“What’d you get yourself into Sam?” Dean’s voice, bordering on condescending, tears his attention from the screen as Cain appears.

“What the hell's that supposed to mean?”

“Looks as if this guy tried to off your new boyfriend. What was he doing out there? Running drugs?”

“Hey, enough with jumping to conclusions, _Detective_ Winchester. There’s more to this story and I’m not going to listen to you-”

“Whoa, whoa hey, I’m sorry it’s just-”

“Yeah, I know," all anger evaporates with a sigh. He knows Dean's just looking out for him, he'd probably react the same way if they're roles were reversed. "Listen, we should be heading back there soon. I really want you to meet Gabriel and then we can tell you everything. That cool?”

“Guess it’ll have to be,” he sighs heavily and Sam doesn’t need to see his face to know his features are pinched in irritation. “Just watch your six and call me if you need _anything_.”

“Will do, thanks Dean. I uh, I’ll let you know when we’re back.”

 _“To anyone able to produce any sort of information that leads to the capture of the individual going by the name Thomas Ishim, you will be rewarded handsomely. All I want is to see is the person or persons punished for bringing harm to my son.”_ Cain is speaking into a microphone being held by an unseen reporter. It leaves the frame when another question is asked.

_“What more can you tell us about the man who found your son?”_

Another microphone appears and Cain leans into it, _“At this time I’m not comfortable giving his name. Just know, my oldest son and I are extremely grateful he was there when Gabriel needed him.”_

_“We’ve heard rumors Gabriel and this man have become very close. Care to comment?”_

_“The nature of my son’s relationship is of no concern. It’s his business and we’ll leave it at that.”_

Sam tunes out the remaining questions as he focuses on Lucifer standing to the right of Cain, his eyes seeming to squint into a sun that isn’t there. To the father’s left stands Josie Abaddon. Her lipstick blood red against her pale skin. Sam doesn’t trust either of them as far as he could throw them.

“I’m sorry you’re getting dragged into this, Sam. Eventually your name will get to them. I hope it isn’t a problem if you’re linked with a man.”

“What?” he turns to Gabriel and takes in the concerned arch of his eyebrow. “What? No! Don’t be sorry, that part doesn’t bother me and no, I don’t hide who I am or who I date so you don’t have to worry about that.”

“How did Dean figure out you were who they were talking about?”

“My guess is your Dad let the reporters know where I found you. And also, there’s a reason he made rank of detective at such a young age.”

“Hey, where're you going?” Sam cries as Gabriel swings his legs over the side of the bed.

“We should get going, I could hear your brother and I’m already scared of him. I don’t want to keep you from home any longer.”

“Oh no you don’t,” he hooks an arm around Gabriel’s chest and pulls him back onto the bed, “we’re not going anywhere until I get my morning kiss.”

“What are ya waiting for then?”

A grin nothing shy of devilish spreads across Sam’s face as he leans in for his morning snack.

 

Thirty minutes later after a full morning make out session and two blowjobs, Gabriel is leading Sam out into the parking lot. Over his shoulder is a bag of clothing and his drawing supplies.

“You want to stop somewhere or grab something on the way? What the-” Gabriel’s footsteps halt and his last words fade away.

“What? What’s wrong?’ He steps in front of Gabriel as he looks around the parking lot. Nothing seems amiss and his truck seems fine. He turns on his heel to question Gabriel.

 His head is tilted to the side and he’s pointing at a red jeep. “That’s my car.”

 “Oh. Is there something wrong with it?”

“Only that I left it at the marina.”

“Maybe your Dad had it brought over so you wouldn’t have to be near the boat just yet.”

“Maybe,” he draws out the word as he approaches the vehicle. He pulls out his keys and looks inside. Sam stays close to his heels for good measure. He picks up the note sitting on the drivers seat and holds it out so Sam can read it over his shoulder. The note is written in sharp, slanted works.

_I know you won’t believe me, but I’m glad you’re okay Little Brother. Thought you may need this. There’s also a new phone in the glove box for you. We didn’t see it on the boat so we figured you had it on you. Give Dad a call sometime today, he’s worried about you._

_Luci_

“Huh,” Gabriel says as he folds the note, climbs in and leans over to the glove box. Inside is a fully charged cell phone. “Huh,” he says again as he looks up at Sam.

“That was nice of him.”

“Yeah,” he nods his head several times as he swipes through his phone, “it was. What’s your number, Sam?”

Sam rattles it off and Gabriel sends him a text.

“Did you want to follow me or ride together?”

“I guess it’d make more sense if I drove myself,” Gabriel says reluctantly.

“All I’m saying is I don’t mind making another trip here.” Sam looks off down the road, afraid to look Gabriel in the eye because he’s feeling a little self conscious and a little needy and that’s not like him.

He sighs with relief and smiles brightly at Gabriel when he replies, “Good cause I’d much rather your company.”

“I vote we grab something on the way,” Sam answers Gabriel’s interrupted question.

“Works for me.”

Gabriel’s hand naturally falls over Sam’s as they take off down the road. Sam would like to believe Lucifer’s gesture was legitimate but he has a hard time wondering if the new cell phone was another way for Lucifer to keep tabs on his younger brother. For Gabriel’s sake, he hopes he’s wrong.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My feelings from yesterday's episode may have bled into this chapter....just a wee bit...maybe.
> 
> Watch the tags.

Before getting onto the interstate, Sam and Gabriel hit a drive thru for burgers. Fast food of this nature isn’t Sam’s favorite thing to eat but it’s convenient and he’s anxious to get Gabriel out of this city. He understands the difficult position Gabriel’s in, he really does, but he’s also concerned his safety will be compromised by his inability to see past the murky waters he’s treading in.

Two hours into the drive, Sam gives in and unwraps the heat lamp warmed patty and eats without tasting it. He isn’t even hungry, he’s only eating it in order to give his hands something to do. Which in turn, keeps his brain distracted from eavesdropping on Gabriel’s current conversation. Up until calling his Dad, Gabriel had been seeming more up beat. Joking a little more and his shoulders haven’t been so tense. Sam glances over and he feels his own shoulders tense upon seeing Gabriel’s current state.

“I know, Dad.” Gabriel runs his hands through his hair and lets his head bump to the side window, “I know, I just need some time.” _pause_ “I do. Dad. The guy saved my life why would he-” Gabriel pauses again and sighs. Sam can hear Cain’s voice; his muffled words aren’t raised, only stern sounding as he speaks to his son. “No, Dad, we’re not having this conversation right now.”

Forget giving him privacy, Sam thinks as he scrunches up his wrapper and tosses it into the pocket of his door. Hearing the nearly defeated sound return to Gabriel’s voice brings up the image of him draped over the life preserver, floating alone, and it’s too overwhelming for Sam to handle. He wraps his hand over Gabriel’s where it sits bunched on his thigh but keeps his eyes on the road. Gabriel’s fist springs open and twists under Sam’s palm before their fingers interlace.

“I know. No, I left it at my place.” _pause_ , “Yeah, I’ll call him sometime.” _pause_ “We’re more than halfway to his house now.” _pause_ “Fine, I’ll text you when we get there.” _pause_ “Love you too, Dad.” Gabriel tosses the phone onto the bench between them and mutters, “Jesus,” before jamming his fingers through his hair again.

“I’m guessing he’s not too happy you left?” Sam asks him gently.

“He’s worried about me.”

“I understand the sentiment, I am too.”

“Why? I keep telling you both, I’m fine. I’m breathing, what more should I be asking for?” Gabriel’s eyes are wide and his hair’s sticking up from fingers repeatedly tugging.

Sam releases Gabriel’s hand and runs his palm over the side of his head, smoothing his hair in an attempt to smooth his frayed nerves. “I think you know the answer to that so I’m not going to rehash it.”

“Yeah well, I think I need you to because I don’t see what else I have a right to ask for.”

Sam lets his hand slide down Gabriel’s arm until their hands join again, “How about you have the right to feel safe in your own home? You have the right to know you’re safe with those that call you family. You have the right to be happy, Gabriel.”

“I thought I was but...”

“But?”

He waves his hand in the air, dismissing his thought. “Can’t this hunk of junk go any faster?”

Sam lets the change of subject ride even though it’s already eating away at him. “Hey, this hunk of junk has carried me many miles. Which reminds me, care for a word of advice?”

“I don’t know what you could possibly tell me I don’t already know. I’m pretty awesome, you know.”

Sam grins then taps their joined hands against Gabriel’s thigh, “As true as that may be but a sure fire way to get on my brother’s bad side is to make a crack like that at his vehicle.”

“Good to know but aren’t I already on his bad side?”

“Why would you think that?”

Gabriel rolls his eyes, “He was pretty loud with you on the phone this morning.”

“He’s just protective and also, he’s seen a lot of shit.”

“I get that,” Gabriel relents with a nod of his head, “and I’m glad you have someone looking out for you, Sam.”

Sam bites his lip, keeping the words, he wishes he had someone looking out for him, from tumbling out.

“What does he drive?”

“What? Who?”

Gabriel laughs softly, “Where’d you go? _Dean_. What does he drive?”

“Oh, sorry. He fixed up my Dad’s car after, uh after,” he tries to clear the lump in his throat, “Impala. He drives Dad’s old Impala.”

“And how often does he get teased? I bet he looks like he's just stepped out of some old 70’s cop show driving a car like that."

“No one knows because one would never live to tell that tale,” Sam grins.

“So noted. Avoid conversation on transportation.”

“Wise man.”

While Gabriel fiddles with the radio, Sam’s thoughts drift back to Gabriel’s family. The mention of his Dad has got him realizing how very different their lives have been in regards to family. From the little Gabriel has shared, it sounds as if Cain had made a feeble attempt, but ultimately left his son to be raised by hired help. He can’t even imagine how lonely it must’ve been and it’s no wonder he’s built such a high wall around himself constructed on humor.

Growing up, Sam's family was close knit, it wasn’t perfect but they were happy. He can’t even begin to imagine what it would feel like to not be abe to trust Dean. He figures he'd come closer to imagining what a unicorn would look like versus what it'd be like to be distant from Dean. The two of them, no matter what their squables over the years have been over, have always had each other’s backs.

“Didn't we go a different way the other day?”

Gabriel’s question pulls Sam to the present, and as his words catch up with him, he notices they’re off the freeway and driving down a quiet street in a residential area. He sits up straighter in his seat and runs his damp palm over his thigh. He certainly didn’t intend to go this way but now that they’re here, Sam feels it’s appropriate.

The tears are already gathering at the back of his throat as he pulls the truck over onto the shoulder of the T intersection.

“Sam?” Gabriel’s tone is light as he shifts his hips to fully look at Sam. “What, uh-”

Sam can’t bring himself to look out the windshield but he watches Gabriel’s gaze as it leaves Sam’s face and looks past the glass to the tree Sam knows still stands at the top of the intersection. The tree, he’s been told, has several new flowers planted around it’s base. He also watches as understanding slowly falls over Gabriel’s features.

Sam looks down at his hands, not ready to look, not yet. “I uh, haven’t been here since, fuck,” he mutters when he can’t even finish his sentence. He feel’s Gabriel’s warm hand slide over his neck and it makes Sam braver but also makes him want to cry all the more. “Cas and Dean brought Kaia out here not long ago and they asked me to join them but I just couldn’t.”

“And you don’t have to now,” Gabriel has moved across the bench, body bent over in a way to block Sam’s view out the front.

“I need to but I don’t know if I can,” he says on an exhale, his words almost ending on a whisper. He looks up into Gabriel’s face, “I know this is a lot to ask but do you think you could-”

“Sam, you _still_ have no idea what you’ve done for me, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll follow your lead.”

Before he loses his nerve, Sam throws open his door and lurches out. With his eyes closed, he braces his weight on the truck while his breath comes out in short pants. He hears the scuff of feet on asphalt moments before the heat of Gabriel’s body warms his back.

“Doing good, Sam.”

The sound of Gabriel’s voice pushes him to open his eyes. Despite the sun beating on his skin, the dark sky is misting rain, highlighted by the flashing red and blue lights. His heartbeat is pounding in his ears and he feels lightheaded. Strong hands catch him as he stumbles back against the truck.

“Sam, look at me. Hey, Sam.”

The same hands, almost as familiar as his own hands, cup his face. “Sam, Babe, open your eyes and look at me.”

“I can’t. I can still see them. Dad’s neck...and Mom, so much blood. How are they gone?” He slouches against the truck but he doesn’t slide to the ground. Gabriel’s got him pressed against the truck, his arms tight around his chest.

“Sam, you gotta breathe for me.”

Sam realizes Gabriel’s right, his chest feels tight and he can’t seem to draw in air. He focuses the best he can on the feel of Gabriel’s hands rubbing over his back and the sound of his breathing. His head falls to Gabriel’s shoulder as the tightness loosens it’s grip.

“Thanks,” Sam sighs as he swipes at his face, drying his cheeks. He doesn’t even know when he started crying.

“You want to go?” Gabriel rests his hand at the back of his neck as if he’s purposely directing his attention on Gabriel's face and not on their surroundings.

Oddly enough, it’s the concern on Gabriel’s face that makes Sam want to stay. “No, I think I can do this. Sorry, didn’t mean to freak out like that. It’s just,” he pulls in a shaky breath and looks around and sees green grass, dry pavement and sunshine. “I felt like I was back there, it felt so real.”

“Hey, don’t ever apologize.”

Sam gives Gabriel a brief hug then pushes away from the truck. He takes Gabriel’s hand then points behind him, “My parents were coming from that way and the truck blew through that stop sign,” he points to their left. “He T-boned them here,” Sam takes several steps forward and stops at the top of the intersection then points to the tree five feet off the road, “and he pushed them into the tree.”

As he stands there now, holding tightly onto Gabriel's hand, he sees the accident happen as he's imagined it over and over again. He sees his parents leaving Dean and Castiel's house after dinner and time well spent with their only grandchild. Blocks later, they pass through the intersection where a truck sails past the stop sign and hits the Impala's door, snapping his father's body to the right, breaking his neck and cracking the windshield with the impact. The car's then pushed up into the grass and stopped by the tree, the front tire flush against the massive trunk. The windshield shatters, sending one piece into his mother's carotid artery. They were gone within minutes of each other. Gone before the car had even fallen back onto all four tires. 

“You told me the other day the police thought the other driver had fallen asleep,” Gabriel comments tentatively as he follows Sam towards the large Oak tree.

Sam’s hand runs over the deep groove in the solid trunk, “Yeah. There weren’t any tread marks that night and all screens done on his blood came back clear. He wasn’t much older then Dean, working two jobs. Probably would’ve survived if he’d been wearing his seatbelt. Ironic since both my parents were wearing theirs.”

Sam kneels down onto the soft grass and Gabriel settles down next to him. “Kaia planted these, she used to garden with my Mom.” The tears fall silently from Sam's face as he presses his fingertips into the dirt surrounding the purple tulips and pink gerber daisies. He pulls his hands free, brushes off the dirt then wipes his face with the back of his arm as he settles down to sit on his butt.

“Pretty,” Gabriel comments.

They sit together at the base of the tree for several moments. The only sounds around them are the birds singing and traffic in the distance. “I wish they could’ve met you,” Sam tells Gabriel as he looks over his shoulder to where the car had once sat, crumpled and near ruined.

“It would’ve been nice to see what it’d be like to have a Mom even if your Dad would’ve scared me more than the thought of meeting Dean does.”

Sam feels a laugh bubble up his throat and it feels good, “I can see him now. He’d probably give you a once over then stare you down just to see if you’d break.”

Gabriel laughs nervously, pinches the front of his shirt and fans it away from his body, “Yeah, that sounds like a good time.”

Sam looks him up and down just as he pictures John doing, he’s convinced he’d nod his head, slap Gabriel on the shoulder then ask him if he wants a beer. Sam climbs to his feet and offers his hand to Gabriel. Once he’s standing, Sam bends and kisses his cheek, “You would’ve done just fine.”

Gabriel slaps a hand to Sam’s arm, “If you say so.”

Back in the truck, Sam doesn’t make any move to start the engine and Gabriel doesn’t question him. As he told Sam earlier, he’s letting him take the lead.

“I’m realizing I haven’t been very fair to you, Gabriel.”

“Did you hit your head on the way back into the truck? You’ve done more for me than I even deserve.”

One thing at time, Sam tells himself, he’ll address that last comment later. “I’ve been pushing and pushing you to talk to your dad and tell him about Lucifer’s involvement.”

“ _Possible_ involvement,” Gabriel emphasises with an index finger held in the air.

Sam holds his hands up, palms out, “Possible involvement.”

“And I don’t see a problem with that," Gabriel continues, "I really _should_ talk to him but I just..I just can’t do it.”

“That’s my point!” Sam cries as he runs both hands through his hair, “I’ve been pushing you to do something you aren't ready to do when I should be pushing _myself_!”

He flings his hand towards the windshield, “They’ve been gone for almost seven months and this is the first I’ve been out here. My six year old niece was braver than I’ve been. And my job!” He lets his hand slap down onto the steering wheel, “talk about chicken. I love my job, I love being able to help people and I’m good at it but one call and I, I fell apart! Who the hell am I to tell you what you _should_ be doing with your life when I’ve clearly put mine on hold?”

“Whoa there big fella. First off, take a breath. You’re starting to sound like this friend I had in high school whose voice would jump whole octaves when he was upset.” Gabriel rubs Sam’s arm while he pulls in a few deep breaths.

“Good, now you need to kiss me.”

Sam barks out a laugh but his cheeks flush warm when he realizes Gabriel’s serious. They each lean forward and meet over the middle of the bench seat, lips parting slightly as the tips of their tongues lick together then retreat.

Gabriel’s hand grips the back of Sam’s neck, holding their faces close, “Better?”

Sam nods his head then gives Gabriel another quick peck on the mouth, “So very much.”

“Good, now as for all this, let’s just agree we’re both stunted emotionally, go back to your place and tap into,” he pauses to wag his eyebrows up and down, “some other emotions.”

"Are you saying I'm going to find out what if feels like to have those powerful bowlegs wrapped around my waist?"

"Sam, I'm game for whatever you're ready to throw at me. If you want to tie me to your bed, I'm cool with that too."

Sam laughs softly only because if he lets himself conjure up any of those images he'll want to strip Gabriel of his clothes, and given their current location, he'd rather not do that. “You’re terrible.”

“And yet…” Gabriel lets his words fade, quickly sits back against his seat and clicks his belt into place.

“Yeah,” Sam sighs, almost inaudibly, before clicking into his own. As ridiculous as that seems, it might just be true.

Less than five miles later, Sam’s pulling into his driveway. The butterflies fluttering in his stomach remind him of the first time he arrived with Gabriel in tow. Was that really only two days ago? The more time he spends with Gabriel, the harder it is to remember life without him.

Once inside the house, Sam feels a sudden blanket of exhaustion settle over him, like his body knows he’s home and it’s okay to let the day catch up to him. He tosses his keys and cell phone onto the table near the front door, kicks off his sandals then makes a beeline for the couch.

With a groan, he flops down onto his back. His right leg gets propped up onto the arm and his left stays on the floor. He watches Gabriel take his shoes off then slowly approach the couch.

Sam’s convinced nothing but impure thoughts are running behind the dark pupils rimmed by whiskey as they eye Sam up and down. Gabriel kneels in the space between Sam’s legs and drapes himself over his body, letting his weight settle naturally. His forearms rest lightly over Sam’s chest as their hips align but that’s as far as he takes it. He doesn’t even kiss Sam, not right away. First, he lets his eyes skim over Sam’s face as Sam gazes up at him, the longer he looks the darker his iris color grows.

Sam wonders if Gabriel’s feeling equally worn out as he his because neither of them are showing any reaction in the lower half of their bodies. The upper half, however is very much on board with what he’s experiencing. Sam’s heart is beating just a little faster the longer Gabriel looks at him and the feel of him pressing him into the couch is easing the tension from his tired muscles.

He knows now the relief he felt walking through his door wasn’t because he was in his home, it was because he was home _with_ this man.

A memory of a conversation he’d had with Dean over a decade ago, catches him off guard like a left hook to the jaw. It was the morning after his first date with Castiel and Sam had commented on how peppy Dean had seemed.

“Best night of my life,” he’d told Sam over a grin, his voice still rough from the late night.

“What a shame, Dean, it’s been nice seeing how excited you’ve been with the idea of getting to know this one. I thought maybe he was different.”

“What do you mean?” he asked, clearly feeling left in the dark.

“I know this, this look on you,” he had waved his hand in a big circle, “the ‘nothing can rain on my parade cause I got laid’ vibe.”

The smile had fallen off his brother’s face and the coffee carafe hit the counter with a thunk. “No Sammy,” he told him as he sat down next to him at the kitchen table, “you’re wrong. You’ve never seen this,” he made a circle around his face and Sam remembers how bright his eyes had shown. “You’ve never seen this because I’ve never _felt_ this. Yesterday was beyond just a quick fuck for me.”

“Dean, I don’t need the details-”

“He let me hold his hand as we walked through the zoo,” Dean had cut Sam off, ending his discomfort over thinking he was going to hear a sex tale. “When we watched the prairie dogs scamper over their mound of dirt and in and out of their tunnel system he _laughed_. And Sammy, when he laughs, his nose scrunches up and he’s just, I don’t know, so pure and innocent.” He'd finished after a long pause, “When I dropped him off he let me kiss his cheek.”

“That’s it?”

The smile had returned to Dean’s face, “That’s it and in that moment, that’s all I needed.”

“Seems a little like a fairy tale, Dean, that shit doesn't really happen.”

And Dean being Dean, instead of getting upset with his little brother for raining on his parade with skepticism, he'd slapped Sam on the back with a reply of, “Some day, Sammy. Someday someone will show you, the number of hours or days you’ve known a person or the fact you can answer every trivia question about that person doesn’t really matter. Someday, Sammy.”

Lying here with Gabriel now, Sam knows that cocky son of a bitch was right.

Sam’s breath hitches on an intake of air as Gabriel brushes hair from his forehead, “Tired?”

Sam runs his hands up Gabriel’s back, “Understatement.”

Gabriel nods his head and kisses Sam lightly on the corner of his mouth, “Me too. Want a beer?”

“Oh shit!” Sam cries as he lifts his head then thumps it back down onto the arm of the couch, “we should’ve stopped for groceries.”

“No worries,” Gabriel tells him as he climbs off the couch, making Sam ache at the loss, “I have a phone that isn’t fried by salt. We can order in again.”

“Ugh.”

Gabriel grins at him as he walks backward towards the kitchen, “Tired of fast food? Tomorrow we’ll go to the store and I’m going to make you a dinner.”

Sam tucks his arm under his head and grins at Gabriel, “You cook?”

“Eh, I know my way around the kitchen,” he turns on his heel to his left to round the corner to the kitchen and his next words die on his lips, “uh Sam-”

Sam hops up from the couch when the color drains from Gabriel’s face, “What?” He’s at Gabriel’s side as he points to the patio door, a thin crack of light shining through between the seal.

Sam's arm circles around Gabriel and he pushes him back towards the living room. “Lock the front door and stay here.”

“Sam, wait what-”

“Stay here!” he repeats as he opens a closet door and pulls out a bat. His heart’s thudding as he checks the bathroom and spare room. Inside his bedroom, finding it also clear, he pulls a heavy box secured with a digital pin pad, from the top shelf. Heading back down the hallway, bat tucked under his arm, he slides the clip into his gun and repeats his instructions to Gabriel. "Take this," he hands the bat to a stunned Gabriel, "and lock the patio door behind me.”

On Gabriel’s cries of protest he closes the patio behind him and holds it closed until Gabriel locks it. He notices fresh footprints in the flower bed that runs under the kitchen window.

His back yard has a high privacy fence but there’s a gate on each side of the house. The gate to the right is secure so he backtracks and follows the footprints that lead to the left gate. Sure enough, it’s wide open.

Sam hugs the side of the house, gun at the ready when he hears scuffing sounds around the front of the house. His hands brace his raised weapon while his left elbow drops low when the tip of a gun rounds the corner ahead, followed by an arm covered in a dark material.

Sam’s gun points quickly to the sky when the profile of the gunman comes into view, “Jesus, Dean! What the hell you doin?”

“Sammy! I should ask you the same thing!” Dean retorts as he holsters his weapon at his chest and quickly closes the gap between them.

“What? How?” Sam isn’t sure what the hell is going on. He whips around, raising his gun again when a twig snaps behind him. “Fuck, Gabriel! I told you to stay inside. I could’ve shot you!”

“Yeah, Sam, you could’ve shot him!” Dean yells from behind him.

Gabriel’s skin is pale and Sam can see a tremor starting in his hands where they clench and unclench at his sides. Sam rushes over and slides an arm around Gabriel’s waist and kisses his temple. He doesn’t want to coddle him, this gesture is actually for his own benefit. “I’m sorry, Babe. Are you okay?”

“Peachy,” he mutters the same time Dean steps up behind them and continues to berate Sam, “Next time maybe take your boyfriend’s lead and call the cops instead of waving around a gun.”

“Wait,” Sam looks down at Gabriel as his brother’s words catch up to him, “ _you_ called Dean?”

“I did. You left your phone on the table and I kind of freaked out, it’s not everyday you see people running through the house with a gun.”

“Smart move,” Dean gruffs as he offers his hand, “I’m Dean.”

“Shit, I’m sorry. Uh Dean Gabriel, Gabriel Dean.”

“Not exactly how I wanted us to meet but, nice to meet you all the same,” Gabriel tells Dean as their hands break apart.

“Not exactly the kind of thing they write about in Romance novels, is it?” Dean jokes.

“Read a lot of romance novels, Dean?”

“Shut up, Sammy. Come on, I need to show you something.” Sam keeps his arm around Gabriel as they follow Dean to the front of the house. “I was already in the neighborhood, we found this one pulled over down the street watching your house. Donna was just getting him tucked into the car when Gabriel called to tell me someone had been in the house and you were out looking for him.”

Walking up the driveway from the front curb is a blonde woman wearing black slacks, a red shirt and a black leather waist length jacket, her holster peaking out with the swing of her arms. “Heya Sam. Good to see you, honey. Would rather it’ve been at our barbecue this coming weekend and not like this, ya know.”

“Hey Donna,” Sam replies as he bends to return the woman’s hug. “Donna, this is my,” _friend? boyfriend? soulmate?_ “this is my Gabriel,” Sam settles on, hoping he doesn’t sound too lame. “Gabriel, this is Detective Donna Hanscum, Dean’s partner.”

“Nice to meetcha, Gabriel. I want to grill you on all the dirt but right now we have a pressing matter to deal with." The three men trail behind her down the driveway towards the unmarked police cruiser.

The glare on the back passenger window shifts and Sam and Gabriel both get a look at the person in the back at the same time. Sam lets out a cry of “Fuck,” as he steps in front of Gabriel.

Right before Sam’s eyes, Gabriel’s drawing has come to life. Sitting in the back of the squad car, mouth open as he yells, is Thomas Ishim.

Sam turns around to face Gabriel when he feels his hands bunch at the back of his t-shirt. His eyes are wide, “Sam, that’s him.” Sam isn’t sure what’s more worrisome, the fear on Gabriel’s face or how eerily calm his voice is when he repeats, “Sam, that’s him. That’s Ishim.”

“Good enough for me,” Donna comments.

“We’re taking him downtown, can you two meet us down there?” Dean continues as Donna climbs into the car.

“Of course but wait, Dean, what the hell is going on? How did you get him and was he in my house?” He grasps Gabriel’s hand tightly as he fires questions at Dean, trying to keep his own panic at bay.

“Since I spoke to you this morning I’ve kept close to the area. Donna noticed this red beater of a car sitting further up the road this morning. When we ran the plates we found it had been reported stolen. One look at him and we knew who he was by the sketch on the news this morning.”

“Did he say anything to you?” Gabriel asks a beat before Sam asks a similar question.

“He just keeps saying he isn’t the one we want and he can prove it.”

“Then let him!” Sam cries.

Dean plants his hand wide on the middle of Sam’s chest, halting his steps towards the car. “Slow your roll there big guy, that’s why we’re taking him downtown. Why don’t you go inside, get some shoes on and for God’s sake lock that gun back up!”

“Right. Okay, yeah. Let’s, uh, do that.” Dean joins his partner in the car while Sam and Gabriel go around the back since the front door is still locked.

“You know, one of these days we’re going to have a quiet, full day together that isn’t interrupted by drama.” Gabriel jokes as he gets his shoes on. “Here’s your phone, I hope you’re not pissed I called your brother,” Gabriel’s eyes are hooded as he looks up at Sam and hands his phone over. He drops his gaze and walks to the bay window near the door, “I was just scared you’d get hurt!” His words start spilling out faster and faster, “and I didn’t know what to do and I-I saw your phone and Dean’s name was right there so before I knew it he was in my ear. I’m sorry if I-”

“Stop!” Sam tells him firmly as he wraps his arms around his waist and kisses his temple, “Stop apologizing, I’m proud of you. That took guts to call Dean.”

Gabriel lets out a rush of air through pursed lips before leaning back into Sam’s embrace, “Yeah, okay, uh thanks. We should go.”

“Right, just give me a minute to put this away.”

Sam removes the clip as he walks down the hall to his room. He locks both pieces securely away then slides the lock box onto the top shelf of the closet and pushes it until it bumps the back wall.

He returns to the living room to find Gabriel pacing with his phone in the palm of his hand. “Debating on whether to call your Dad?”

Gabriel’s head slowly rolls upward on his neck as his feet halt, “I want to call him but I don’t have much to tell him yet.”

Sam opens the front door, stepping to the side to wait for Gabriel to go through first, “We have a ten minute drive ahead of us. You have time to think about it.”

In the end, Gabriel decides to wait until he has more information to pass along to his Dad. Sam suspects he wants the time to prepare himself to break the news of Lucifer’s involvement.

Donna is waiting in the lobby of the station when Sam and Gabriel arrive. She leads them through a maze of open desks and down a short hallway. Halfway down the hall, she stops in front of two doors side by side. She raps her knuckles on one then opens the other. Sam and Gabriel follow her into a small room with a dark window.

“I’m not happy about this but I’m trusting my partner,” Donna starts as she looks over Gabriel and Sam. The door on the opposite side of the room opens and in walks Dean. He’s shed his suit coat and Donna’s lost her jacket. Leaving them both in slacks, dress shirts with the sleeves rolled up and holsters.

“Ishim refuses to speak to us, he’ll only talk to you, Gabriel,” Dean states sternly as he closes the door behind him, a clear plastic bag hanging loosely from his fingers.

“Absolutely not, Dean! You have no idea what he put Gabriel through!” Sam barks as he steps closer to Dean.

“Hey, I didn’t say I like it,” Dean tells them all as he spreads his hands out wide, “but I’m afraid to push him more, I don’t want him calling for a lawyer before we get anything from him.”

“What is he saying?” Sam asks, the frustration ringing with every word.

“That he was forced into this and he has proof,” Donna supplies.

“What kind of proof and why the hell was he at my house?”

“He’s not saying,” Dean tells Sam wearily. “Maybe if Donna and I go at him together we can-”

“I’ll do it.” Gabriel’s voice is soft but he has everyone’s attention immediately.

“Gabe-”

“No, Sam I have to,” his words are firm as his shoulders pull back, “I can’t live like this anymore.”

“Then I’m going wi-”

“No,” Gabriel shakes his head, “I love you for offering, Sam, but I gotta do this alone.”

Knowing Dean and Donna will be there, Sam relents with a short nod of his head.

“His hands are cuffed, he can’t hurt you,” Donna tells him with a voice that would soothe an angry bear. “We’re ready when you are.”

Sam takes Gabriel by the shoulders and looks into his face, there’s so much he wants to say but he doesn’t want to drag this out for Gabriel anymore, “Go in there and show him you don’t take shit from anyone.”

“You know it,” he tells Sam with a wink before following Donna out the door.

“I shouldn’t do this but,” Dean hits a switch on the wall. The darkened window lights up to reveal Thomas Ishim facing him. His hands are chained to a hook in the table he’s seated at. A rage fills Sam like he’s never felt before. His hands clench and he lunges at the two way mirror. “If you can’t keep your cool I’m going to have to move you to another room.”

The thought of leaving Gabriel makes Sam back off. “No, it’s fine. Please, Dean, let me stay.”

Dean points a finger and raises his eyebrows at Sam before leaving the room.

As the door on Sam’s side of the glass closes, the door on the opposite side opens. Donna strolls in, Gabriel close on her heels followed by Dean. Dean tosses the plastic bag onto the table as Gabriel stands tall next to Donna.

Sam’s blood begins to boil again when Ishim stares up at Gabriel.

“You gotta know I-”

“This’s how we’re going to play this,” Dean barks as he pulls the cell phone from the plastic bag and rests a hip on the edge of the desk, “you’re not going to say a word to Mr. Milton. We’re going to listen to this so called proof and _then_ ,” Dean bends at the waist, bringing himself inches from Ishim’s face, “and then you and I are gonna have a little _chat_.”

Ishim drops his head into his hands and speaks to the tabletop, “There’s a file labeled 'GM'." Sam shivers at the thought of Gabriel's intials in that monster's phone. "It’s a recorded phone call.”

Sam moves so close to the wall his knees bump and his hand rests on the glass. He wishes he were there next to Gabriel instead of looking at the back of his head. As if he’s reading Sam’s thoughts, Gabriel turns around nods towards the glass then turns back around, crossing his arms and widening his stance.

Sam swipes over the screen, taps once then sets the phone onto the table.

“ _What_?” The irritated sound of Ishim’s voice fills the room. The way Gabriel flinches doesn’t skate past Sam’s notice and his fingers flex over the glass.

Gabriel’s arms fall to his side and his knees bend slightly but Donna’s there with a hand on his back as the person responsible for all of this, responds.

“Don't you fucking 'what' me. You had _one_ simple job to do and you fucked it up. You better clean up that mess, including the new boy toy Thor, or else."

Sam's mouth falls open and his hand slides from the glass just as Gabriel turns on his heel and runs to the door, "I've got to call my Dad!" he cries out as the message continues to play, all traces of the the false concern put on display the day before has been replaced by a cold and calculating tone. "I've got to warn him he's been sleeping with a monster."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did anyone catch the "blink and you'll miss it" reference to my favorite guy?? :-)


	8. Chapter 8

Gabriel spills out into the hallway with Donna and Dean close on his heels. Gabriel’s hands are pulling at his hair as he sails past Sam where he holds the door open to the observation room. “I can’t...what the hell...Dad, I gotta warn him... _fuck_.” He’s pacing the room as his visible panic rises. He pats his shorts, “Fuck!” he cries again, “I left my phone in the truck.”

Sam grabs a hold of his shoulders as he tries to leave the room, “Gabriel, stop!” He bends his knees in order to make their faces level, “Take a minute and breathe. You _can’t_ call him.”

“Sam, have you lost your fucking mi-”

“Gabriel,” Sam tells him sternly but calmly, “You can’t call him.”

Gabriel’s eyes are wide as they dart between Sam’s. It only takes a minute for his shoulders to round in defeat, “You’re right, I can’t. That’ll only tip her off. Fuck. Sam, I can’t just sit here!”

“Of course not,” Donna tells him gently with a hand on his arm. “Why don’t you start off by telling us who the woman on the phone is?”

“Yeah, good thought. Uh her name is Josie Abaddon, at least that’s what she goes by. She works for my father. And also…oh God, what if he’s in danger?”

“Also what?” Dean asks, bringing Gabriel's attention back around.

“I’m 99% sure she’s been an _extra special_ employee if you catch my drift.”

“How long?” Dean asks as he pulls out a small spiral bound notebook.

“Four, maybe five months. What if we call my brother? Then at least someone will be there with him.”

“Gabe, baby, I hate to bring this up but we don’t know if this Abaddon is working alone.”

Gabriel’s brows gather then relax, “You think she may be working with Luci. How is this real life?” He walks away from Sam and stands at the viewing window. The four of them watch Ishim as he drops his head back into his hands.

“One way to find out,” Dean comments as he shakes Ishim’s phone in his hand, “but we should go back in there, I want to guage this guy’s reaction.”

“Do that, Gabriel,” Sam speaks to Gabriel’s back, resisting his urge to touch him. “and then, how about we call Sheriff Mills? She can let your Dad know he’s needed here, that way you don’t have to lie or omit any information.”

Gabriel spins on his heel, “Let’s get this over with.” Sam lets his hand trail down Gabriel’s back as he walks to the door and Gabriel throws him a wink right before the door closes.

Dean resumes his seat on the corner of the table, Donna sits in the chair opposite Ishim and Gabriel leans against the two way mirror, unknowingly positioning his back right over where Sam’s hand is pressed against the glass.

“Let’s give this another listen.” Ishim remains silent as Dean swipes into his phone once again.

The shock over hearing Abaddon’s voice isn’t as alarming but it’s there all the same. “ _Don't you fucking 'what' me. You had one simple job to do and you fucked it up. You better clean up that mess, including the new boy toy Thor, or else."_

Gabriel pushes off the glass at the implied threat to Sam. The blood blanches from his knuckles as they bend into tight fists and bounce against his thighs.

_“Josie I can’t-”_

_“You can and you will or I’ll blow your precious little world away with one single phone call. Once you’ve cleaned up that mess you’re going to take care of the job you were originally ordered to do.”_ The iceiness of her words chills Sam to his core.

 _“I don’t know what you mean by that.”_ The tremor in Ishim’s voice leads Sam to believe him. _“I know I screwed up by throwing him that ring but what’re the chances a boat would find him? I’ll go there, I’ll find this Winchester but then I’m done. I’m out. I’m an accountant for fucks sake, not a hired gun!”_

The shrill laugh that rings through the line makes Donna sit up straighter in her chair and Dean tilting his head, “ _You fucking imbecile, you really don’t know what you did wrong? Jesus, send a boy to do a man’s job.”_ There’s a muffled sound of glass breaking before Abaddon’s voice returns, “ _You had the wrong fucking son!”_

Sam feels the blood drain from his face, Gabriel stumbles back against the glass and Donna mutters “Well howdy doo, plot twist.”

The remainder of the call fails to register with Sam’s brain, it’s too preoccupied with Gabriel as he turns slightly to his left. What little of Gabriel’s profile Sam is able to see has fallen soft and his shoulders are loose as if he’d taken a deep breath in and just let go of everything that he’d been keeping bottled up.

The recording ends with a quick retort from Dean, “I think we get the picture,” he catches Gabriel’s eye and waits for him to give a slight nod as if to say he’s also satisfied. “Now it’s time for you to start talking.”

Sam once again tunes out Ishim’s protests and cries of a deal as Gabriel and Donna return to his side of the glass.

“Well paint me yellow and call me a cab!” Gabriel yells as Donna closes the door behind them. “I told you Sam, I’m not anyone special.”

“You talk too much,” Sam mutters as he pulls Gabriel into a hug. He kisses the soft skin right behind Gabriel’s ear lobe, his lips move against his skin, “I happen to think you’re _very_ special.”

Gabriel pulls out of Sam’s arms and hits the switch on the wall, “I don’t want to hear this anymore. I just want to make sure my family is safe.”

Sam pulls out his wallet and retrieves the card Jody gave him back in Cain’s office, “Here’s Sheriff Mill’s number,” he tells Donna as he hands it over.

“Thanks, Sam. I’ll give her a call.”

“I’m sorry you and Dean have gotten saddled with all this,” Gabriel tells Donna before she leaves.

“Don’t you worry a hair on that handsome head of yours, it’s why we’re here, Gabriel. Besides, your well being seems to mean a great deal to Sam here and I owe him, don’tcha know.”

Gabriel looks first to Sam then to Donna, clearly missing something.

“I’d wouldn’t have my Benny Bear if it weren’t for Sam,” she explains with a grin that shows perfectly white teeth and deep dimples. “Sam, why don’t you take your guy here to our break room? The coffee's better there than the waiting area. I’ll come find ya when I have more info for ya.”

“Benny Bear?”

“When you meet Benny, you’ll understand,” Sam grins as he holds the door open for Gabriel.

Sam has finally managed to get Gabriel to end his pacing and settle onto the worn and torn leather couch in the officers’s break room. He’s raising his uber sweet coffee to his lips when Dean strolls into the room and drops several pages of lined notebook paper, covered in sloppy handwriting, onto the cushion between Sam and Gabriel.

“Your dad should be here soon. With this,” he gestures to the pages then turns away to fill a mug, “Donna shouldn’t have any trouble getting the arrest warrant signed.”

Gabriel picks them up without looking at the contents and hands them back to Dean as he takes a seat in the lone arm chair. “I’ll take the cliff notes. I mean, I can figure out most of it on my own. Abadouche wanted to get her perfectly manicured claws on Daddy’s companies. She first had to get into his pants then eliminate all obstacles; I’m not a threat so that leaves Lucifer. Am I getting warm?”

“Burning hot.”

Sam even surprises himself when he laughs and says, “Knew that already.”

“Really, Sam?” Dean comments with a sideways look to his brother but Sam doesn't miss the slight gleam in his eye.

“Sorry,” he mutters but smiles when Gabriel bumps his knee against his.

“Abaddon, if that’s even her real name, told Ishim,” Dean pauses and looks down at the paper laying on his lap, “excuse me, she told Ian Tracey, that a man would be contacting him looking for a guide. He was to accept the job then come back alone.”

“What did she have on him?” Gabriel asks and Sam adds, “Must’ve been pretty big.”

“Years ago he took on a second job. His kid was sick and they needed the money for medical bills. He was a janitor at the _Palo Alto Chronicle.”_

“That’s where Abaddon was working before my Dad hired her.”

“Bingo. One evening he was cleaning out an office and the computer had been left on and papers spread out over the desk. He ignored them the first night but the next night he found them out again and couldn’t resist taking a look.”

“Because no one thinks about the maintenance people at night, they’re ghosts and they don’t need to hide sensitive material from them,” Sam says with a shake of his head.

“Yeah well, guess what Tracey’s day job is?”

“Please stick with Ishim, my head is reeling from everything and I can’t keep it all in,” Gabriel almost begs as his fingers rub at his temples.

“Dude!” Sam cries, “Ishim called himself ‘just an accountant’.”

“Bingo again. Long story short, he helped himself to the books and wired himself some money out of desperation.”

“And Abaddon somehow found out.”

“I’ll spare you the details, but yeah, she did. Didn’t matter Ishim had already paid the money back and no longer worked there without anyone ever knowing the money had been missing. She’s been holding it over his head ever since, just waiting to cash in.”

Gabriel pops to his feet and resumes his pacing. He’s on his second lap when Donna strolls in, “Hey Honey Cakes, there’s someone here to see ya.”

The look of confusion on Gabriel’s face falls away when Cain rounds the corner. “Dad!” he cries, the relief painting his voice.

“Gabe, what the hell is going on? No one will tell me anything.” He weakly returns Gabriel's hug before tugging his fingers through his short cropped dark hair. Despite the nature of this gathering, Sam can’t help but smile at the familiar gesture.

Lucifer joins them a moment later and Sam is relieved to realize he no longer feels immediate rage roll through him. He still thinks the guy is a dick that treats his younger brother like dirt, but if Gabriel can deal with him than Sam will learn to as well.

“It seems we’ve all been duped, Pops,” Gabriel tells his Dad gently in answer to his question. With Dean and Donna’s help, Gabriel lays the story out for his Dad and brother.

@@@@

After several hours of questions answered and statements given, the four are sitting in Sam’s favorite diner with empty plates. Sam can't help but notice the weariness on Cain's features have seemed to accelerate his visible age since the last time Sam saw him. The dark smudges under his eyes and the worry lines etched over his forehead are made more prominent under the harsh flourecent lighting. 

They’ve managed to avoid the elephant in the room and even keep the tone light even though Cain appears shell shocked and Gabriel seems...reserved is the best word Sam’s able to come up with.

Sam’s arm is draped over the top of the booth while his hand dangles loose near Gabriel’s right shoulder. Sam sits up a little straighter when Gabriel reaches up and pulls at his wrist until it slides from the booth and settles on his shoulders.

Aside from the evenings Gabriel had nightmares, Sam’s always been the one to keep them close. He’s been the one needing to feel Gabriel close as a reassurance he’s really okay, that he’s really there. But now? Now it’s Gabriel needing Sam and he can’t help but fear it’s because a shift is about to occur. Now that he’s no longer in danger, will Gabriel feel the same about Sam?

The one thing he is certain is the fact that Gabriel has had enough today. The fatigue on his face reminds Sam how he looked that first night on the boat before bed.

The waitress, not Jo but someone new, appears with Cain’s change and tells them to take their time. No discussion is had, they all just slide out of the booth.

Once outside Cain pulls Gabriel into a hug. Sam isn’t able to hear the words being exchanged but he has a pretty good idea based on the way Gabriel’s arms tighten around his Dad’s back.

When they break apart, both faces reflect gratitude, love and exhaustion. “I’m guessing you aren’t coming home with us tonight?” Cain asks Gabriel as he glances over at Sam. Sam stuffs his hands in his pockets and averts his eyes. He wants Gabriel to go where ever he feels he needs to go and he doesn’t want to influence his decision.

He does his best to hide his relief when Gabriel says, “No, I need to stay here.”

“Of course,” Cain tells him with a slap on the back, “call me tomorrow.”

“I promise,” Gabriel tells him with a smile.

Cain turns his somber face to Sam and holds out his hand, “Thank you Sam, you’ll never know how appreciative of you I am.”

Not entirely trusting of his voice to hold, Sam answers with a simple, “You’re welcome,” as he shakes Cain’s hand.

Gabriel taps Lucifer on the chest with a loose fist and says, “See you around, Luci.” Sam feels his body go rigid but his feet remain planted in place when Lucifer slides in front of Gabriel, blocking his path.

“Hey, I guess I should thank you?”

Sam isn’t able to see Lucifer’s face but he hears the hesitation in his voice. He does, however, catch Gabriel’s eye roll.

“For what? Taking a blow to the head for you? Think nothing of it,” he says with a wave of his hand through the air.

“Gabriel, do you really think I could do that to you?”

Gabriel sighs deeply, “I don’t know, man. You were the one to pass Ishim’s name to me and encourage me, kind of out of the blue I might add, to take off on a trip.”

“Jesus, look, a while back Josie had mentioned in passing she’d been out with friends and they had this great guide who seemed to know his shit but was real good about keeping to himself. I knew that Dad’d been riding you extra hard that week to step up to the plate and I thought maybe you’d want to go away for awhile so I asked her for his number. Gabriel, Jesus, I know you hate me but you’re still my brother and I’d _never_ want to see you hurt.”

“Glad to hear that, Bro. Good talk,” he tells Lucifer with another tap to the chest and zero hint of mocking in his voice, “but let me clue you in on something, I’ve never felt _anything_ even close to hatred towards you.” Then to Cain he adds, “I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Dad, get some sleep.”

Sam bites his lip to hold back his words of, “Put that in your pipe and smoke it you asshole.” Instead, he follows Gabriel to the truck and hopes Gabriel's words settle into Lucifer and make him take stock of how he treats his brother.

Neither say a word as they settle inside the truck. Sam steers them away from Gabriel’s family and out of the parking lot. “I know you’re beat but I really need to make one quick stop for groceries.”

“I’m good with that as long as you promise me we’ll go straight to your house afterwards. I want to spend, at the very least, the next twenty four hours with you and only you. None of this family drama bullshit, taking off in a rush just when it looks like we may have a moment to breathe.

I don’t care if all we do is spend it hanging out on your couch watching documentaries, just please, no news channels.”

“You have yourself a deal, my handsome friend.”

 

Within minutes, Sam’s pulling up to the same grocery store they’d made their first attempt at supplies days before. It’s hard to believe the last time they were here they had little to no answers.

Once inside the store, Gabriel pushes the cart and keeps up a running commentary on the items Sam throws in. Eventually he gives up on asking for his opinion and just trusts he'll say something if he really doesn't like his choices.

This assumption is confirmed when he begins to make retching noises as Sam bags up a stalk of broccoli.

"Mature, Babe," Sam comments as he looks over the bell peppers.

“This seems much more palatable, don’t you think, Samuel?”

Sam snorts out a laugh and shakes his head as Gabriel grips a cucumber tightly in his fist and lets out a soft moan of Sam’s name. “Nevermind," he says as he tosses it aside, "I know where I can find a bigger specimen, er I mean fresher vegetable.”

Gabriel walks away on the wave of Sam's laughter while Sam moves on to the fruit. Gabriel appears moments later with a bag of bite sized candy bars. In the cereal aisle, Sam throws in a box of _Life_ cereal and waits as Gabriel abandons the cart and looks over the selections. He smirks at Gabriel when he tosses in a family sized box of _Lucky_ _Charms_.

“Go on, out with it,” he comments as he rests his hands on the cart’s handle.

“Out with what?”

Gabriel points down at the basket which only makes Sam grin wider because he knows what’s coming, “Tell me how awful my eating habits are. Looks like Dad’s out shopping with his kid.”

“You’re a grown man, you make your own decisions.”

“Oh, huh.”

“But I will say,” Sam tells him almost as an afterthought as he steps up behind Gabriel, wraps his arms around him and grips the cart handle, letting his thumbs brush against Gabriel’s pinkies, “it’d be an awful shame to see you shave off months, or possibly years, of naked time together because you chose high fructose corn syrup over a piece of fresh melon. _Even_ _if_ we’re old and grey by that time, it'd be a _real_ shame.” Sam lays a kiss over Gabriel’s temple, fills his sinuses with his sweet smell, then steps away.

Sam hardly gives his words a second thought even though the implications of them run deep. He grins when, behind him, comes the sound of a box hitting the shelf followed by the squeak of the cart wheels.

Sam tends to shop with a list but today he’s enjoying the freedom of roaming the aisles with Gabriel. They end their meandering trail in the bakery. “Do you eat _any_ sweets, Sam?” Gabriel asks as he eyes up the boxed cookies and cupcakes with their colorful frosting.

“Once in a while. Go ahead, get whatever’s speaking to you.”

He walks past the stacks of pies, letting his hand trail over the edge of the table they sit on, “Actually, I’d like to make you something.”

“You bake?”

“A little. But I have yet to see you eat anything sweeter than crab rangoon when we had chinese and that’s not even a dessert.”

Sam feels his chest warm and he fights the urge to kiss Gabriel silly right there amongst the layered cakes and crumbly topped muffins. “I’d like that very much, Gabriel.”

Gabriel’s face splits into a wide smile and his posture straightens, “Really? What do you like?”

“I’ll love anything you make, no one's baked anything for me since..”

Gabriel steps closer to him when his words fade away, “What did your Mom used to make you, Sam?”

Sam doesn’t look down at Gabriel right away as he finds himself lost in a memory of their last Sunday dinner. “Pound cake with strawberries and whipped cream.” He tilts his chin down in time to see Gabriel give a slight nod, then walk off, “Looks like we need to do a little backtracking, my handsome Moose.”

@@@@

 

For the second time today, Sam and Gabriel push through Sam’s front door. Just like the first time, they’re both soaked to the bone in exhaustion. This time, their arms are loaded with grocery bags and they head directly to the kitchen. Despite the emotional toil, Sam can’t help but think to himself that this feels comfortable. This feels...right.

When Gabriel returns with the last load, Sam as several mini candy bars waiting in hand for him. “Thought you might need a boost,” he tells him as he holds his hand out flat.

Gabriel stares down at the colorfully wrapped pieces of chocolate for a moment before slowly bringing his hand up. His fingertips tickle Sam’s palm as they curl. “God Damn, Sam,” he huffs out as his fisted hand falls to his side.

“Gabe? What-”

Gabriel shakes his head and turns away. Here it comes, Sam thinks, this is where their story ends. “I need a minute,” he tells Sam as he stuffs the hand with the chocolate into his pocket.

“Uh, okay, I’ll just go-”

“No!” Gabriel cries as he spins back around. The lids of his eyes are red and his hands fly out to grab Sam’s arms, “No, don’t leave, God please don’t leave,” he practically whispers as his eyes close. “I just need a minute to think, I’ve got all this….ugh,” one hand leaves Sam’s arm and circles in the space before his chest, “...fucking emotion churning in me and I don’t know how to handle it.” His eyes open and the fear in Sam’s gut loosens. He’s not seeing the look of a man not ready to stay, rather the look of a man who never wants to leave.

“Take your time, it’s not like I have anywhere to be. Remember, just you and me for at least twenty four hours.”

“Then what?” he asks as his eyes widen. He drops his hands and begins to pace while his hands gesture wildly with each broken fragment, “Sam I think I’m, _no_ ,” he shakes his head again, “I _know_ I’m...but it _can’t_ be real because…”

“Gabriel.”

“...damn it’s only been….but I _know_ …”

Sam raises his voice a little louder and this time he catches his attention,“Gabriel!”

“What?” he stops mid stride.

“I know and I do too. Now stop stressing and eat the chocolate in your pocket. I’m gonna put the groceries away and grab you a beer.”

He turns to do just that but stops when a vice- like grip wraps around his arm, “Sam!”

“Would you prefer whiskey again?” he smirks as he remembers their last instance of drinking together.

“No, Sam! I don’t want whiskey!” he cries in pure exasperation. “I just told you I loved you after knowing you for...fuck I don’t even know anymore. Talk about a fuckaroo. Don’t you think that’s ridiculous?”

Sam places his hands on Gabriel’s neck and covers his gaping mouth with his. He smiles into their kiss as Gabriel’s mouth molds around him. He lets their tongues slide together and his fingers rub into the taunt muscles of his neck before pulling back. “Do I think that’s ridiculous? No, I don’t.”

“If that’s true how can you be so nonchalant and head into the kitchen to do housework? Isn’t this kind of a big deal?”

On a soft chuckle he takes Gabriel’s hand and leads him to the couch. He settles onto the arm and pulls Gabriel between his knees. He settles his hands on his hips and looks up into his face. “Why does it have to be a big deal? Why do we need loud music building to a crescendo as we gaze into each other's eyes and declare our undying love for each other?”

“Well fuck me sideways, when you put it like that, that is ridiculous!”

Sam lets his forehead drop to Gabriel’s chest as he chuckles, “That right there is one of the many reasons why I love you, Gabriel.”

“Why, because I have a filthy mouth?”

Sam nods his head, “And because you don’t give a rats ass what anyone thinks. You speak your thoughts then leave them to fall where they may.”

“You’re the first to ever see that as a positive trait.”

“Well, I do. And as for time, I knew I loved you the first time I looked into your eyes.”

“Ah, you mean right after I puked in your mouth?”

Sam laughs again, lifts a hand off Gabriel’s hip then lets it fall back down into place, “Yeah, I guess that’d be right. I mean, obviously I didn’t really _know_ but I knew I felt something different.

My job is to help people. It’s ingrained in me to help people. I’ve been in countless situations with people at their roughest moments but _never_ have I _ever_ felt a pull to them as I did to you. Damn it, Gabriel, I keep thinking about how close I was to leaving you behind and the idea of never knowing you. Never finding you. Never tasting your lips or knowing how you smell like a sweet, musky...fuck I don’t know...something so...so fucking good!”

He pauses to take a breath because Gabriel is openly laughing at him as his hands run up and down his arms. “So we _are_ declaring our undying love? Is that what we’re doing?”

“Shut up,” he snorts.

Gabriel leans down and kisses his forehead. “This is so surreal,” he tells Sam as his fingers card through his hair. “I had this buddy in high school who had a band. Actually, he still has the band but that’s not important. He writes all his own music and he had this one song.”

He looks up and over Sam’s head and fixes his gaze somewhere behind him. Sam watches his adam’s apple bob as he speaks. “It was depressing as hell but I kind of always figured it was how I’d end up. It was about a guy who lived his whole life alone. He had his drink and he had his drugs, not that I do drugs but you catch my drift. In the end, he dies alone, face down in his leather couch.”

“Damn, what a downer,” Sam tells him lightly.

Gabriel tears his gaze away and looks down at Sam. “I never thought I’d find anyone willing to put up with my bullshit. I mean, I’ve had relationships but they always fizzled out after awhile.”

“Sorry, man,” Sam raises his brows and shrugs his shoulder, he feels one cheek scrunch as he grins and tilts his head to the side, “you’re stuck with me.”

“End scene,” Gabriel jokes as he leans down for a kiss.

Sam smacks him in the ass after several delicious moments of kissing and stroking of skin, “We better get those groceries put away. Hot shower or just turn on a movie?”

“Honestly,” Gabriel says as he pulls Sam to his feet, “I’m so fucking tired I think I’d fall asleep standing up.”

“I kind of thought so,” Sam smoothes the hair away from Gabriel’s face one last time before stepping away, “I’ll finish up here, you go to our room and find us something to watch.”

Sam sends a text to Dean to thank him for today and to let him know he plans to lay low for the next day but he’s here if he needs anything. Next he brushes his teeth, uses the bathroom then joins Gabriel in the bedroom.

“Found a marathon of _Voyager_. That work for you?”

“Couldn’t be more perfect,” he tells him as he pulls off his shirt, stripes off his underwear and cargo shorts then throws on a clean pair of cotton shorts.

“I was thinking the same damn thing,” Gabriel's eyes roam down Sam’s body as he climbs into bed next to him.

“Thought you were tired,” Sam smirks as he settles down alongside Gabriel, wrapping his arms and legs around him.

“As the dead but I be damned if my dick isn’t taking notice of you right now.”

Sam lifts his head off Gabriel’s bare chest and looks up at him, “I’d be happy to give your dick some attention.”

“No, just kiss me,” he tells him quietly.

When they pull apart for oxygen, Sam settles back down on Gabriel’s chest. They watch the television for several moments before Gabriel speaks again. “What to know when I knew?”

“Was it when I helped you breathe again?” Sam teases as his finger traces around Gabriel’s belly button.

“That was helpful but no, it was when, damn I feel silly saying this but when you gave me a pouch of colored pencils.”

“ _Lent_. I lent you Kaia’s colored pencils.” His head bounces with Gabriel’s laughter.

“Shut up, you know what I mean. It felt like you already knew me. It was unsettling and yet the most incredible feeling I’ve ever experienced all at the same time.”

Sam turns his head and kisses over lightly tanned skin that’s dusted with freckles, “Yeah, I most definitely know what you mean.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As much as I freaking hate Lucifer, I just couldn't do that to Gabriel. 
> 
> Yes, I did it again. Anyone catch my shameless wink at my favorite guy?? ;-)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last one before the epilogue.

Sam’s hand pats blindly at the space beside him; finding it cold and empty, he turns his face into his pillow and lets out a “hmph” sound.

“I know I shouldn’t be turned on by a 26 year old man pouting and yet, here I am.”

Sam rolls over and finds himself within inches of Gabriel’s grinning face. He throws an arm around his waist and pulls him down on top of him, rolling them until their positions are reversed. “Now that’s more like it,” Sam tells him before indulging in a lip crushing kiss.

Gabriel’s hands cup Sam’s ass through the layers of sheet and clothes while his thighs spread as wide as they’re able. “Hmm, good morning,” Gabriel hums as he lifts his chin to allow Sam further access to his neck. “Not that I’m complaining about this turn of events, but I made you breakfast.”

Sam pops his head up, “You did?”

The soft sound of his hair crinkling against the sheets rustles as he nods his head, “I did.”

“Huh, now I’m torn.”

“How about you kiss me again while you think about it?”

“Such a smart man.”

“I vote we stay here,” Sam tells him when they break apart.

Gabriel runs his fingers through Sam’s hair and scratches lightly at his scalp ,“How about we eat then come back? Eggs aren’t any good reheated.”

“There you go using common sense. Alright,” he lets out an exaggerated sigh as he rolls off. Once on his feet he holds his hand out to Gabriel and pulls him out of the bed and into his arms again. “And here we are again,” he grins at Gabriel then bends to kiss him....again.

“Food. Cold eggs. Gross,” Gabriel mutters against Sam’s lips.

Sam runs a hand down Gabriel’s arm, grabs his wrist then guides his hand to the semi-hard outline in his shorts, “Then you either need to take care of this or give me some time away from your mouth,” he tells him as he nibbles at Gabriel’s neck. His jaw drops open on a gasp when Gabriel presses down firmly with the heel of his hand and curls his fingers around Sam’s testicles.

“I’ll leave you alone then.” He laughs when Sam gives him a little shove as he walks away.

By the time Sam has brushed his teeth and used the toilet he’s able to think past pinning Gabriel to the bed. He shuffles out into kitchen to find Gabriel standing at the patio door.

“It’s nice outside so I thought we’d eat out on your picnic table.”

Sam follows him outside to find his picnic table set with two covered plates spread over the vinyl blue and white checkered tablecloth. “Gabriel this is the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me.” He opens his mouth to say more but the words freeze in his throat.

“Hey, it’s only food,” Gabriel tells him with a gentle slap between his shoulder blades. His tone is teasing but Sam’s still able to feel the affection. “Sit, oh wait I forgot the salt and pepper. Be right back.”

The warmth from his back disappears and Sam drops down onto the wooden bench. He looks at the place setting opposite him and decides it’s too far away for his liking. He’s just setting the utensils down when Gabriel reappears near his ear.

“What are we twelve?”

“Sorry, is this weird?”

“No I’m just giving you shit,” he sits down next to Sam, “I almost set it all up like this but I thought maybe-”

“I’d think you were a twelve year old with your first boyfriend?”

The grin that splits through Gabriel’s light scruff makes Sam’s stomach dip, “So we’re settled on that, we're _both_ fools crazy in love. Lets eat.”

He pulls off the plate keeping Sam’s food warm and the sight before him makes his stomach dip again and his chest squeeze tight. “You,” he points to the plate then up at Gabriel, “you made me an egg white omelette?”

“Its what you like, right? Its probably not as good as the one from the diner and I can do something else if-”

“No!” Sam cries louder than he’d intended as he catches Gabriel’s wrist mid-reach for his food, “No, this's amazing. Thank you.”

Gabriel pulls his hand back, shrugs his shoulder then uncovers his own plate. His omelette is the same as Sam’s, tomatoes, cheese and spinach plus yolks, “It’s only a pile of eggs, Sam. No big deal.”

To Sam it is a big deal but he doesn’t want to sound needy so he lets it go but not before leaning over and kissing Gabriel’s cheek with a quick, “Thank you.”

“Have you talked to your Dad yet this morning or are you putting that off until later?” he asks as he cuts off a piece of turkey sausage with the side of his fork.

“I called him this morning. I was worried about him and I knew he’d be doing the same over me.”

“How’s he doing? He suffered quite the blow yesterday.”

“Yeah, he did,” he speaks around a mouthful of egg, “but he’s been through much worse. He’ll do what he always does, bury his head in work.”

“Sounds fun,” Sam says sarcastically.

“Eh, it works for him. Luci’ll watch out for him. He did surprise me this morning though.”

“How’s that?” Sam sets down his coffee cup and twists at the waist to give Gabriel his undivided attention.

Gabriel taps his fork against his plate a few times before speaking, “He told me he finally gets that the paper isn’t my thing and he wants me to do whatever it is that makes me happy. Even if that means cutting all ties to his business.”

“Wow. You couldn’t do that though...could you?”

“No, I like doing my occasional column and I like being a part of something he’s worked so hard to create but as a full time gig? No, I don’t want that.”

“How did you leave it with him?”

“I told him I’d think on it and get back to him.”

“Seems fair,” Sam comments as he tucks back into his omelet.

“I know that conversation was long overdue and I wish I could’ve had it face to face with him but I’m glad its done. He sounded a little sad, maybe, but mostly I think he’s just grateful this story didn’t end differently.”

“I would imagine that’s true.”

“So,” Gabriel says on a sigh as he reaches for a piece of toast, “looks like I’m free to stay here and be your love slave as long as you have the stamina to keep me around.”

“You should just hire some movers now cause I’m not letting you go if you leave it open ended like that.” Sam keeps his tone light and there’s a playful smile on his face but he’s completely serious.

For a split second something flits across Gabriel’s face before he looks away. Sam decides to pay it no mind and continue on with his next question, “I don’t know if I told you this but for years my family has gotten together every Sunday for dinner. When we lost Mom and Dad, Dean and I kept the dinners going. Only now, we switch off between our houses.”

Gabriel lays his utensils down across his empty plate and picks up his coffee cup, “That sounds nice, Sam.”

“It is. I mean the first couple were a little rough but it’s been good for all of us, I think. Anyway,” he takes a deep breath and tells himself to just go for it, “the dinners are held every Sunday. And tomorrow is Sunday,” Sam suddenly loses his nerve, and Gabriel misunderstands his hesitation.

“No worries, I’ll be out of your hair by then,” he tells him with a wave of his hand before reaching for the juice. Sam doesn’t miss the slight tremor in Gabriel’s hand.

“Gabriel, I-” he pulls in another deep breath, “I want you to come with me.” His next words come out in a rush and his hands hover in the air, “Now I know it’s kind of a big deal but I’d really love it if my family could all meet you. It’s nothing fancy, we usually grill out and if it’s too much for you than I understand just tell me and I’ll-”

Gabriel cuts off his panicked tangent with a kiss, his tongue pressing urgently past Sam’s seal and Sam allows him access with a deep groan.

“Guess that’s a yes,” Sam sighs against Gabriel’s mouth as they part just enough to draw in air.

Sam’s hand pulls free of Gabriel’s hair where it’s become fisted in his short strands and maintains eye contact as Gabriel stands, clears the space directly in from of Sam then hoists himself onto the table. His feet box in Sam’s thighs while his hands pull him forward into another kiss.

Sam melts against Gabriel’s chest while his hands run over his back before sliding down and under the hem of his shirt. He breaks the kiss off and kisses and nips down the side of his face. He pauses to nibble at his jaw before moving down the long column of his neck.

When he reaches the neckline of his shirt he pulls back and bends further at the waist. Following his hands as they ruck up Gabriel’s shirt, he sucks and bites at the skin along the edge of his shorts.

Gabriel’s stomach dips in and out as he breathes heavily which only spurs Sam on more. He slides his hands around Gabriel’s waist and dips his fingers down past his waistband. He tugs gently until his cock springs free.

Sam wastes no time meeting Gabriel's half thrust into the space between them, he captures his head and swallows him down. A deep moan bubbles up his throat as his lips stretch wide and the weight settles over his tongue. He slides his hands under Gabriel’s ass and encourages him to go deeper.

Gabriel falls backward and catches himself on his hand while the other reaches for the back of Sam’s head. His hand rests there lightly. It doesn’t guide nor does it push, only maintains contact. His head falls back to hang above his shoulder blades as his mouth drops open on a pant. “Sam, Sam _Goddamn_ that mouth of yours.” He lifts his head as his hips thrust forward, “You're like a Hoover only the d-deluxe-ahh, huh model. The kind, uh f-fuck, with the testicle tickler attachment.”

Even with his cock halfway down a throat, Gabriel’s loose with the smart ass comments. This makes Sam love Gabriel just a little more, the fact that he isn’t afraid to say what’s on his mind.

“Hey Sam, n-neighbors. We s-should go inside.”

Sam pulls off with a pop, “Privacy fence,” he comments before sliding back down, not stopping until his nose is tickled by Gabriel’s wiry hair.

“Second floor windows. Nngh!” he pants around barely legible words.

“Sam looks up through his lashes as he sucks his way back up. Heat coils deep in his gut and his cock strains at his shorts as he dips the tip of his tongue into Gabriel’s slit. Gabriel’s eyes roll back and he forces out a short, “Fuck,” as Sam pulls off again.

He stands and leans against Gabriel’s chest, “Those folks are away for the summer,” he tells Gabriel with a nod to his right, “and that couple, I’m almost positive,” he nods his head to the left, “have orgy parties on a regular basis. I don’t think they’d mind a show.” Sam dives down and sucks at the skin below Gabriel’s earlobe.

“Think they’d invite us to their next party?”

Sam’s head pops up and he looks into Gabriel’s grinning face, eyebrow raised, “We could always invite ourselves, I’ve caught them watching me several times. I get the feeling they’d welcome us if that’s something you’d be interested in.”

Gabriel looks over at the house then back at Sam, “Nah,” he says with a quick shake of his head, “I don’t know if I’m ready to share you yet, but let’s put a pin in it and stick it under the ‘revisit at a later date’ column.”

“Hmm mmm,” Sam hums against the skin of his neck. Sam’s never even had a hint of curiosity over the possibility of more than two people in his bed, but in this moment he feels like as long as Gabriel’s involved, he’d be willing to try almost anything.

He’s also never considered himself an exhibitionist and yet he hears himself tell Gabriel through raspy words, “You know, I could open you up nice and slow then fuck you right here.”

“R-really?” Gabriel chokes out as he pushes onto Sam’s shoulders.

Sam’s predatory facade drops and his face falls into a playful grin, “No not really.” He sits back down onto the bench, pulling Gabriel back to a seated position with his backward momentum, “there’s no way I could do that with the bench in the way but it’d be fun to try.”

Gabriel grins as he tucks himself back into his shorts. When Sam frowns he cups his face, “Not to mention it’d feel a little awkward next Sunday when we host the family dinner.”

It takes every ounce of Sam’s self control not to react to the word “we” even though his heart feels like it’s about to bust out of his chest. Not to mention the fact that this simple statement implies Gabriel will still be here next week. Despite their kind of sort of declaration of love yesterday, he’s still expecting Gabriel to realize this isn’t what he wants, causing him to pack up and leave Sam here, alone.

“Come on Big Boy, let’s clean up.”

Sam pauses as he stacks the plates, “Boy? Really?”

“Yeah, I regretted it the moment it came out of my mouth. Someone called me Daddy once,” Gabriel’s body twitches as he lets out a mock shudder. He stacks the cups and grabs the jug of juice, “I’m still working on a name for you.”

“I have no doubt you’ll succeed.”

Gabriel loads the dishwasher while Sam wipes down the stove and counter. He’s draping the wash rag over the sink when arms wrap around his chest. He instinctively leans into Gabriel’s chest as his hands grip at his wrists. “Thanks for breakfast, Gabriel.”

“Nah, it was nothing. I still owe you a meal.”

“You don’t owe me anything,” Sam tells him with a shake of his head. He’s disappointed when Gabriel slides his hands down his chest and around his back; it’s short lived, however when the same hands push up his shirt and warm lips are pressed into his back.

“You sure about that?” Goosebumps ripple across the surface of Sam’s skin as Gabriel’s lips skim, “I can think of few things we owe each other.”

“Shower first?” Sam asks as he cranes his neck around in an attempt to capture any part of Gabriel.

He feels Gabriel shift as he pushes to his toes and bites down into the soft flesh of Sam’s shoulder, “Fuck no, I could eat you right here, you smell so fucking good.”

Sam’s hips rock backward and his cock swells as he imagines such an event occuring. His body flushes hot and he pulls off his t-shirt, tossing it to the side, forgotten before it leaves his fingertips. His hands reach out blindly, seeking Gabriel’s hands. When he finds them he wraps them tightly around his chest and sighs out on Gabriel's name.

“Like that, don’t you my big Moose?”

Sam nods his head as he presses firmer against the line of Gabriel’s hard cock, silently cursing the layers of clothing between them. His head falls back and he wishes he were short enough to lay his head on his shoulder. Gabriel makes up for the longing by kissing, first up then back down, the curve of his neck.

He feels himself being pulled away from the counter by strong arms. He lets out an “oomph” sound as Gabriel pivots to the left then pushes him against the adjacent counter, the palms of his hands slap down with a loud smack

Gabriel slides his hand down past the waistband of his shorts and grips Sam’s aching cock in a firm grasp. “So good of you to save me time by skipping the underwear.” He strokes several times then releases him in order to pull down his shorts. “I think I need to follow through on my earlier thought.”

Sam falls forward and braces himself on his forearms as Gabriel runs his hands over his ass cheeks and squeezes firmly then follows up with a sharp nip of his teeth. There’s a soft thump behind Sam as Gabriel drops to his knees. He tugs at Sam’s shorts until they fall to the floor.

Sam kicks the article of clothing to the side and suddenly, he’s acutely aware of the fact he’s completely nude and Gabriel is still very covered. Gabriel’s hands slide up the backs of his calves and thighs then skim over the globes of his ass. The anticipation alone is making Sam antsy.

He’s never been one to feel shy but he’s also never been with anyone who’s looked at him with more than lust, or even mild adoration. The way Gabriel looks at him, he knows he’s safe. He knows Gabriel’s here for more than a quick romp in the sack.

There’s a brief sucking sound prior to Gabriel’s hands spreading Sam’s cheeks. The pad of his wet thumb rubs over and around his entrance, leaving scorching heat in its trail. “Look at that, it’s begging me, Sam.” Gabriel’s voice is near wrecked sounding as he blows out a gust of air and Sam clenches around the sensation.

He feels a drop of wetness right before Gabriel’s tongue spears into his hole. His knees slam into the cabinet because he was expecting a lick not a full on fucking. But just as he has every other time he’s felt himself falling, Gabriel’s there to catch him. He braces his weight with his hands and holds him until Sam’s able to support himself again.

His cock hangs heavy between his legs, begging for attention, twitching in search of friction as Gabriel licks, nips and tugs at his hole. His moans of pleasure sending bolts of electricity zinging through Sam, straight to his core. Sam lowers his hand down, just needing a little-

Gabriel bites at his cheek and clucks his tongue, “No touching,” he commands and Sam slaps his hand onto the counter with a loud oath.

“My dear, Sam,” Gabriel says as he lets Sam’s cheeks fall into place then climbs Sam’s legs like a tree as he gets to his feet, “imma give you a choice.”

He steps around Sam’s bent waist to stand next to him, as he runs a hand down the curve of his spine, not stopping until he reaches the crevice of his ass, “I can work you long and hard until you come on my fingers and tongue alone or,” he slides his middle finger down into Sam’s hole, making him simultaneously hiss through his teeth from the burn and push back to take him deeper, “or we can go to our room and you can fill me up with that horse cock of yours.”

Gabriel's finger pulls free of Sam’s body as he abruptly stands up straight, pivots on his heel and captures Gabriel’s face in his hands. He exhales sharply through his nose as he crashes their faces together in a bone jarring kiss.

He pushes Gabriel’s back to the counter as his hips grind against him and his hands roam over his neck and torso. He pulls back long enough to pull Gabriel’s shirt off before assaulting his mouth again, groaning when the skin of their chests slide together.

The head of Sam’s cock glistens with precome as it drags against cloth. “You have too many clothes on, Gabe. We need to rectify that,” he breathes into Gabriel’s mouth and watches as Gabriel’s pupils dilate wide. “Here or bedroom?” Sam throws the choice back at him.

He answers with a long low moan of “Ahhh,” as Sam slides his hands down his shorts and cups his cock. “B-bedroom.”

Sam removes his hands but not before pinching Gabriel’s ass cheek, “What're you waiting for?”

Gabriel’s brows arch high and his shoulders pull back, “Oh so now you’re the one giving the orders?”

Sam straightens to his full height, takes a step back and fists his cock. Stroking slowly he watches Gabriel’s eyes track his hand, “Got a better idea?”

Gabriel swallows audibly, “Nope.” He tears his gaze away and walks to the bedroom, with Sam close on his heels. He stops at the foot of the bed and looks over his right shoulder just as Sam steps up behind him.

He slides his hand over Gabriel’s jaw then curls his fingers over his ear and around his head while he bends forward and kisses him while his left hand snakes around the front of Gabriel’s body and down his shorts.

His grip remains firm on his head as his mouth moves down Gabriel’s neck and over his shoulder, “You still have clothing on.”

Something akin to a growl erupts from Sam the moment the shorts slide to the floor and the skin of Gabriel’s bare ass presses against Sam’s hip. Sam turns him around, grabs his thighs and flips him onto the bed.

“Fuck, Winchester, normally a move like that would piss me off, but you can man handle me all you want.”

The brief moment of concern he’d overstepped his strength dissipates as Sam looks up and down Gabriel’s body, laid out flat for him on the bed. Ready and willing to be played like an instrument.

Sam walks around the bed and removes a condom and a small bottle from his bedside table. He tosses the condom on the table top, grabs a pillow from the head of the bed then palms the lube as he returns to the foot of the bed and tosses the pillow near Gabriel’s calf. He can feel Gabriel’s eyes watching every movement and it’s sets his blood to a slow simmer.

“What should I do with you, My Gabriel?” He bends at the waist and places his hands on either side of Gabriel’s ribcage and kisses his chest. Sam knows what he wants to do. He wants to wipe the cocky, confident grin from Gabriel’s face. He wants to pull him apart piece by piece and hear him whimper and call out his name much in the same way Sam fell apart for Gabriel days ago. He wants Gabriel to feel free and safe and most of all to feel _wanted_. Wanted as is, wanted for who he is.

As if to throw down a challenge to Sam’s inner thoughts of clearing away the cockiness, Gabriel runs his hands over Sam’s shoulders and says, “Well, if I gotta give you an instruction manual on what goes where, this could take awhile.”

“Maybe I need a lesson.” Sam tells him as he straightens up and grabs the pillow. He taps Gabriel’s hip until he lifts up enough for Sam to prop the pillow under him. He spreads Gabriel’s bent knees a part and peers down. “Mmm, as I suspected, good enough to eat but I’ll have to refrain since I need to be taught.”

Gabriel lets out a groan as Sam takes a step away from the bed, removing all physical contact, “Sam I-”

Sam raises his eyebrows, “Oh, not capable?”

“Fuck that, I’m fully capable,” he holds his right hand out, palm up.

The low simmer begins to bubble in Sam’s blood as he coats Gabriel’s middle and index finger with lubricant. He’s torn between watching Gabriel’s face for that first hint of pleasure over watching the progression of his hand. He chooses his hand.

First Gabriel pushes his right heel closer to his thigh, readjusts his raised hips then wraps his wrist around the back of his thigh. With his ring and pinkie finger he spreads his cheek then hovers his middle finger over his hole. When he doesn’t move further, Sam looks up into Gabriel’s face and swallows down a moan as Gabriel bites his lower lip before letting his eyes fall closed.

His mouth drops open on a small puff of air and Sam looks down in time to see his finger circle his hole, lube dripping off his digit and over the pucker.

A soft whimper floats through the air and Sam isn’t sure if it came from him or Gabriel, he’s too distracted to care because Gabriel’s finger has now pushed in to the first knuckle. He gives his finger a little wiggle before pulling back out and circling the hole again. The next time he enters, he pushes clear to the second knuckle and pumps his finger slowly in and out while his index finger prods at the surrounding skin.

Sam’s grown light headed and he’s fighting the urge to drop to his knees and add his tongue along side Gabriel’s finger. The only thing keeping his feet firmly planted is his desire to witness Gabriel come undone.

It isn’t long before Gabriel's adding his second finger and his hips are rocking down while his free hand skims over his chest, stomach and testicles. Sam never sees him touch his cock. Once his hand slides under where it lays curled onto his stomach, but save for the very tops of his knuckles, he never touches.

Sam’s now touching his own chest and stomach, his hands mirroring Gabriel’s actions. He lets out a small gasp when his fingers graze over his nipple. The noise startles Gabriel into opening his eyes. The honey color of Gabriel’s eyes first darkens then shrinks as his pupils grow wide. “Saam,” he gasps as his head presses further into the bed and his fingers speed up their movement. His left hand moves towards his cock but stops right before making contact. Sam watches as his fingers did into the soft flesh of his stomach over his belly button as they ride the waves of his panting.

“Not enough, Sam, need you Baby. Ahh, _please_.”

He could’ve held out. Would’ve held out if not for the last pleading word. _Please_. To Sam, Gabriel’s asking for more than a brief relief of a raging sexual appetite. The scene before him turns quickly from a game of teasing to a display of the man he’s grown to love, lying alone and asking for help. Gabriel pants out one last, “Sam?” and Sam _moves_.

He inserts himself between Gabriel’s thighs and aligns their bodies as Gabriel wraps himself around Sam. They both groan as hands are fisted in hair, cocks grind against the groove of hips and mouths feast.

“Show me what you want, My Gabriel.” Sam kisses along Gabriel’s jaw and nibbles on his ear.

He moves on to his neck to give Gabriel time to decide. He makes it clear he knows what he wants when he lets out a groan and pushes on Sam’s shoulder until he rolls off to the side. Sam can’t help but give his ass a smart smack as he gets to his knees and climbs to the head of the bed.

Sam grabs the bottle of lubricant and scrambles after Gabriel. He wastes no time pressing up against Gabriel’s backside and wrapping his arms around his chest. Gabriel turns from where he’s kneeling, one hand bracing the headboard, the other coming up to grab the back of Sam’s head as they kiss.

Gabriel breaks the kiss on a gasp when Sam slides his hand down Gabriel’s back and into the crevice of his ass.

“Damn, Baby, feel so tight on my finger,” Sam adds a second finger and scissors gently as Gabriel rocks back then grinds down.

“I’m ready, Sam. Need you.” Gabriel lets go of the headboard and grabs a hold of Sam’s hand and presses a kiss to the inside of his palm.

The gesture makes Sam want to lay Gabriel down onto the bed and slow everything down. As he thinks idly of making sweet, slow love to Gabriel, Sam’s finger grazes over his prostate and Gabriel lets out the most obscene sound Sam’s ever heard and his mind is changed.

He pulls his fingers out and wipes them on his thigh. While he leans to the side to grab the condom, he kisses along Gabriel’s shoulder blades.

Gabriel watches from over his shoulder as Sam rolls the rubber into place then coats himself with lube. “Take it easy on me there, Ferdinand, I’m out of practice and I’ve never been with anyone the size of a bull.” Gabriel may be joking but Sam doesn’t miss the nervous vibe he’s giving off.

Sam takes a hold of Gabriel’s shoulders and turns him until their chests are nearly facing and kisses him long and deep, He keeps the heat out, focusing on the lazy roll of his tongue, the press of their lips, and the gentle massaging of his hands over Gabriel’s neck and ass cheek.

Sam breaks the kiss and Gabriel braces both hands on the wooden headboard. His head drops between his bent elbows as Sam rubs lubricant between his cheeks, taking care to press the slick deep into his hole. “F-fuck, Sam.”

“I know, I got you. Tell me if it gets to be too much too quickly.”

He waits for Gabriel to nod his head yes before gripping his hip in one hand and his cock in the other. “Mmmm, wish you could see this,” Sam rubs his cock head over Gabriel’s hole and watches as it clenches down at his touch. He breeches his hole slowly, watching Gabriel’s back for signs of discomfort. He tenses slightly as he pops past the tight muscle but relaxes on a deep exhale when Sam pauses and rubs over his back with the flat palm of his hand.

Sam pants over the feel of hot heat and tight pressure closing around him as he fights the overwhelming urge to push forward and bury himself deep. Sam doesn’t recall ever heeding this kind of restraint. Not that he’s ever been an insensitive partner, but in the past, he’s always allowed his more animalistic side to take over.

He feels that side licking at the edges and he know’s he’ll give in as soon as Gabriel’s ready- but not until.

After several shallow thrusts, pushing in further with each push, Sam eventually buries himself to the hilt. He rests his forehead against Gabriel’s shoulder blades and closes his eyes. He takes several deep breaths then slowly raises his head.

His eyes focus over the vast expanse of cinnamon colored freckles over the wingspan of Gabriel’s back. He wants to kiss every single one, give each little spot the attention it deserves. He does his best to do just that, including taking several seconds to kiss the back of Gabriel’s neck, marveling at how smooth the skin there is now. Remembering how red and blistered it was the first time Sam layed eyes on it makes him pull Gabriel even closer to his chest.

He nuzzles his nose into the back of Gabriel’s head, inhaling his scent until he’s able to imagine it seeping into to every cell of his body. His breath hitches when the tip of his nose brushes against his cut. He feels himself slipping into that familiar panic at how close he was to not ever knowing Gabriel but he’s pulled out of the melancholy with a snap of Gabriel’s hips.

Sam’s eyes snap open on a gasp of Gabriel’s name. “Move for me, Winchester,” Gabriel groans as his hand shoots out behind him to wrap around Sam’s hip.

As far as Sam’s concerned, whatever Gabriel wants, Gabriel gets.

He gives his hips one more tentative slide out then back in. When he finds little resistance beyond the delicious squeeze around him, he tightens his grip on Gabriel’s hips, gives him one more sloppy kiss over the shoulder then begins to fuck into him at a brutal pace.

Gabriel’s head drops to his forearm while his back arches and he meets Sam thrust for thrust. The room fills with the sounds of the bed creaking, skin slapping against skin, soft grunts from Sam and the incoherent noises falling from Gabriel.

Sam slows his roll and tugs at Gabriel’s shoulders as he bends to meet him halfway, “Kiss..need to taste you...hmmm.” Lips kiss, bite and suck before parting again but Sam doesn’t relinquish his hold on Gabriel. He holds him close as he returns to his rapid pounding. His damp with sweat chest bumping against Gabriel’s equally damp back.

“Sam! Fuck, there! Ugh, so fucking close. Fucking horse cock. Touch me, Sam. God damn,” Gabriel’s voice is strained as he practically begs for his release.

“If I don’t get there first, you’re so fucking tight. So hot, Gabe, so good.”

“Here I thought you were a generous lover,” Gabriel teases around a groan as his hand slaps hard against the headboard.

Without warning, Sam fists Gabriel’s cock in one hand and his chest with the other, his thumb and fingers press down firmly over Gabriel’s collar bone. He jacks him in short strokes, spreading the precome down his shaft and twisting at the wrist on the way up.

“Fuck, Sam. F-fuuck!” Gabriel’s hands leave the headboard and hold tight to Sam’s arm and his head slams back onto Sam’s shoulder. His body locks up and he turns his face into Sam’s neck and huffs out his name as warm cum arches high, falls down to paint the back of Sam’s tight fist and onto Gabriel’s stomach.

Through all this, Sam’s teetering on the edge, hanging on by the tips of his fingernails. The coil is tight in his belly and the blood is pounding in his ears but he holds off. He waits until Gabriel’s twitching slows and his hands drop from Sam’s wrist and return to the headboard.

Sam slows to a languid roll as he kisses across Gabriel’s shoulders and neck.

“Don’t slow down now, My Moose.”

Sam bites down onto Gabriel’s shoulder when he unexpectedly pulls away from Sam then slams back against him. “Fuck! Gabriel!”

“That’s the idea, Babe,” he smirks over his shoulder, clearly proud of himself.

Sam widens his knee stance and quickens his pace. His hands slide up and down Gabriel’s back as his cock slides in and out of his tight heat. Gabriel clamps around Sam’s girth sending him into a free fall. His breath leaves his lungs as his hips stutter then freeze with his release on a cry of, “Gabe, ah!”

“Ah, yeah, Sam!” Gabriel cries as Sam pumps the condom full while he pants out Gabriel’s name and his eyes roll up under his lids.

When he’s able to breathe again, he gently pulls out, removes the condom and drops it into the trash can. Next he guides Gabriel to the bed, feet to the head board but who really cares? Sam certainly doesn’t, the only thing he cares about is covering Gabriel with his body and kissing every inch of his face he's able to reach. And he plans to do just that...twice.

To his credit, Gabriel tolerates Sam’s enthusiasm for several moments before laughing and shoving at his shoulder, “Okay, I think that’s enough you big Puppy dog.” Sam hums and nuzzles into Gabriel’s neck. “Not gonna let me wipe off my stomach are ya?”

“Only if you can manage that without moving me from this cozy spot.”

“Gross,” he groans but he remains in place, “I wonder if I’ll ever be able to say no to you,” Gabriel comments around a loud yawn.

“I know I’ll never be able to say no to you,” Sam echoes Gabriel’s yawn, “should make for an interesting road for us.”

@@@@

Hours later, Sam’s eyes open and his arm tightens over Gabriel’s waist. “Sorry,” he whispers when Gabriel stirs, “didn’t mean to wake you.”

Gabriel kisses the top of Sam’s head, “No it’s good. I don’t want to waste my day with you on sleep.”

“I dunno,” Sam says as his fingers twirl in Gabriel’s chest hair, “I think this is nice.”

“Mmm, I do too but I’d much rather be doing it out on the couch, without cum drying on my skin.”

“Baby!" Sam replies on a grin as he sits up. “Shower?”

“You have to ask? I wasn’t making myself clear enough?”

“Such a smart ass,” Sam says with a roll of his eyes as he climbs out of bed. Once standing, he holds his hand out for Gabriel.

“You wouldn’t have me any other way and you know it.”

“Fucking-A right,” Sam cries as he pulls Gabriel into a kiss.

Under the hot spray, within the spacious stall of Sam’s shower, they share several lazy kisses as they wash each other’s bodies.

Gabriel turns off the water, they dry off then discuss the afternoon as they dress, each in soft sweatpants and t-shirts.

“Hungry?” Sam asks as he finger combs his hair.

“Not really.”

“But you could go for something sweet I bet,” Sam points a knowing finger at Gabriel’s back as he walks out the door.

Gabriel only shrugs his shoulder but that’s all the answer Sam needs.

“Beer?” Gabriel calls to Sam from the kitchen.

“Yeah, that’d be great,” Sam answers as he arranges the pillows on the couch and grabs the remote before settling down onto the couch. His legs are up but he’s sitting up with his back propped up on pillows against the tall arm of his couch.

Just as he’s getting settled, the Netflix menu comes onto the screen and Gabriel enters the room carrying a bag of licorice, a bottle of beer and a can of Coke. “Room for one more?”

“Always,” Sam tells him firmly as he spreads his legs in a wide V and drops a pillow down onto his chest.

“Now that’s what I’m talkin about,” Gabriel sighs as he settles in with Sam’s arm draped over his shoulder. While Gabriel munches on his candy, Sam flips through the shows.

“Wait, go back! No next one, yeah that one!”

“ _Kings of Con_? I’ve never heard of it,” Sam tells him but he hits the enter button anyway, placing his trust in Gabriel has yet to steer him wrong.

“Some of the funniest shit you’ll ever see, trust me. This shit was made for nerds like us.”

Sam groans in irritation when his phone alerts to an incoming text.

Gabriel sits up, “You should get that.”

Sam climbs to his feet, grabs his phone from the kitchen and reads the screen as he joins Gabriel once again in the living room. “It’s Dean, he wants to stop by, he says he has something for you.”

“Me?” Gabriel’s brow arches as his back straightens, “That can’t be good.”

Sam shrugs his shoulder, “I’m sure it’s fine but I can tell him not to come by, he’d understand.”

“No,” Gabriel shakes his head firmly, “It’s fine.”

Sam tilts his head when he hears the familiar rumble, “Good thing cause he’s already here.” Sam opens the front door and watches as Baby pulls into his driveway.

“Seriously,” Gabriel comments from the front window as Dean climbs out of the car, “when we have kids, you’re doing the shooting because holy mother of God, Winchesters carry some ridiculous genes.”

Sam lets out a snort and shakes his head, he figures it’s better to dive into that conversation at a later date. “Hey Dean,” Sam greets his brother as he walks up the front sidewalk.

“Heya Sammy, sorry to drop by like this I know you’re planning to lie low.” He pats Sam’s shoulder as he walks past him and into the house. “Hi, Gabriel.”

“Hey, Dean,” Gabriel replies as he shakes Dean’s offered hand.

“I’ll only stay a minute, I met with Sheriff Mills today. What I wouldn’t give to have a cop like her on my squad,” Dean says with a shake of his head.

“She’s damn good at her job,” Gabriel agrees as he eyes up the book in Dean’s hand.

Dean follows his gaze then hands the book over, “Jody gave this to me to pass on to you, she said your Dad thought you might want it.”

Sam doesn’t even need to ask, he already knows what the book is by the way Gabriel runs his hand over the red leather covered book, soft from years of use.

“Uh, yeah, thanks Dean,” Gabriel says quietly as he flips through his sketchbook.

“No problem,” Dean says as he walks to the door, “You guys coming tomorrow?”

Sam’s stomach flutters over the fact Dean has already accepted Gabriel. Has already assumed he’d be attending their family dinner. “Yeah, we’ll be there,” Sam answers as he looks Dean in the eye, hoping he understands how much that simple question meant to him.

Dean gives him a quick nod because, of course he understands. “Great, then I’ll see you around one.”

“Hey, Dean?” Gabriel asks before Dean closes the door, his hand drops to his side as he approaches the front door.

“Whats up? Did you want an update on-”

“No, no I don’t really care about any of that right now, but thanks. No, uh I was wondering,” he runs a hand through his hair, “if I could bring something tomorrow. Like a dessert.”

Sam chuckles when his brother's eyes light up, he knows Dean will appreciate Gabriel’s pound cake even if it isn’t their Mom’s recipe. “Hell ya you can.”

“Great, thanks.”

“See ya, Dean. Give my love to Cas and Kaia and we’ll see them tomorrow.”

Dean makes a shooting gesture with his thumb and index finger then climbs back into his car.

Sam joins Gabriel back on the couch, “I bet you’re glad to have that back.”

"I am." He touches the cover again and holds it out for Sam, “What to take a look?”

Sam studies it for a moment then looks up into Gabriel’s face, “I do but not now. Right now I just want to sit with you, if that’s okay.”

Gabriel tosses his book onto the end table nearest him then settles between Sam’s thighs. “That sounds perfect.”

Sam kisses the top of Gabriel's head as he hits play. For a moment he thinks over how his life has changed in such a short time. “Love you, Gabriel and thank you.”

“For what?” He sits up and twists at the waist to get a better look at Sam’s face.

“For being here. For changing my life.” He shrugs his shoulder, “I know I sound really lame but, for loving me as I am.”

“Well hell, Sam, you make that easy. I should be thanking _you_ , I’m not the easiest of people to deal with sometimes but here we are.”

Sam recalls their conversation the previous day and tells Gabriel as he cups his jaw, “You’ll never be the one lying on the leather alone. You’re it for me, Gabriel. You’re stuck with me.”

Gabriel arches his brow high and cocks his head at Sam’s words almost as if he’s replaying his comment in his head. Sam smiles when he knows Gabriel understands. “The song. I should look that guy up, maybe his band could play at our wedding.”

A deep laugh bubbles up from Sam’s belly as he pulls Gabriel down into a kiss. “That’s a good thought, but right now I want you to kiss me.”

As far as Gabriel’s concerned, whatever Sam wants, Sam gets. And today is no different, he gets his kiss along with several more. Both Sam and Gabriel feel it’s the best they’ve ever had...that is until the next time their lips join together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Gabriel is referring to here and in the previous chapter is "Uncle Bob" by.....surprise, Louden Swain. :-)


	10. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it :-(.
> 
> I am over the moon to have another piece of artwork by OsnaArt. I think it captures every feeling I've had while writing this story. I'll never get over it.

 

The dirt’s cool and soft as it runs through Gabriel’s fingers. He gives the mound one more cursory pat around the stem of the pink Gerber Daisy before turning to his partner in crime, “So what do ya think, Sensei?”

The girl’s face is obscured by a mass of curly, ebony colored hair and when she turns to Gabriel to study his work, her face is void of emotion. After a moment she turns her milk chocolate brown eyes on him and says, “Better, Grasshopper.”

“High praise, my little friend,” Gabriel states as he climbs to his feet. He brushes the dirt from his hands then offers one to Kaia. She tucks her’s into his palm and allows him to pull her up, rewarding him with a small smile.

“You both did a fine job,” Castiel says as he steps away from Dean and lays a hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “I bet Pops and Grandma are very happy with their new landscape.”

Gabriel feels Sam’s hand slide down his back followed by lips pressed to the back of his head, “Thanks, Babe. This is nice.”

Gabriel shrugs a shoulder as he looks at the headstone, “I have a good teacher.”

“You didn’t smush these as close as the ones at the tree, Gabe. Good job.” She may be reserved like her Papa, but Kaia has her Daddy’s tell it like it is attitude and Gabriel has nothing but respect for her.

He also can’t help but laugh because, as is usually the case, she’s right. The first stop they made that morning as a group was to the oak tree at the intersection. Under Kaia’s instructions, Gabriel had his first gardening experience; followed closely by his second when she made him dig them up and spread them out.

This morning had only been Sam’s second visit to the crash site. As far as Gabriel was concerned it was like night and day in comparison to the first. When Sam had stopped that evening seven months ago, Gabriel had been caught off guard. He’d known by then, without a doubt, that he’d fallen in love with Sam and to stand by helplessly as Sam essentially relived his parent’s death was something he’d never wish on his worst enemy.

This morning was a very different experience for all of them. When they’d first arrived, the sadness in the air was palpable. The melancholy was dashed away by Kaia. She’d walked up to the tree and started talking to her Grandparents like they were standing before her.

Gabriel’s known a few kids in his life but none of them compare to Kaia. Most of the time she’s quiet, seeming to take in her environment around her with a wicked sense of humor, very sarcastic. Then there are moments when she acts silly like a typical seven year old. Having Kaia in his life makes living through his past that much more worth it.

The sound of a sharp intake of air pulls Gabriel back to the present. Dean looks up from his watch, “Sorry to keep this visit short Mom and Dad, but we have a houseful of guests due to our house in about thirty.”

Gabriel tries to take a step back to allow the family their privacy as they say their goodbyes but a hand to his arm stops him. Castiel doesn’t say anything, doesn’t even look at his face, just gives his arm a pat before turning his attention back to Dean.

Gabriel tunes out their words as he sends his own silent message to the couple he’ll never have the pleasure of meeting. He wants them to know what an incredible man they raised and he’ll be forever grateful to them. He vows to, as long as Sam’ll have him, to love and support him as an equal.

He feels a tugging on his hand and he opens his eyes to find a pair of blue green eyes with flecks of gold staring down at him. “Glad to have you back,” Sam’s smile is warm as his dimples make a brief appearance.

“Oh, sorry,” Gabriel stammers as he glances past Sam and sees the retreating backs of Dean, Castiel and Kaia, “I was just-”

“I know,” Sam rubs his arm, “it’s okay. They’re easy to talk to, aren’t they?”

Gabriel takes one last look at the etched headstone before taking Sam’s hand in his, “Yeah, they are.”

Before climbing into the jeep, Gabriel calls out to Dean, “Need any last minute groceries or supplies?” One foot’s sitting in the footwell while both hands rest on the door.

Dean pauses with his hand on his own door, “No, I think we’re good. You guys following us over?”

“You got it, Dean-o.”

Gabriel laughs to himself as Dean rolls his eyes before dropping down into Baby.

“You sure like to fuck with him, don’t you?” Sam asks around a chuckle as he snaps his seatbelt into place.

“He used to scare the shit out of me but yeah, now I enjoy watching him get irritated."

“You know the only reason you get away with it is because he likes you.”

“Really? I just figured he didn’t pound me into the ground because he didn’t want to upset you.”

Sam lets out a hardy laugh that makes Gabriel’s stomach flutter, “Uh no. There’re only two people who Dean makes a conscience effort to not upset and I’m _not_ one of them.”

“Well huh, I’m not about to stop,” Gabriel replies as he pulls up to the curb in front of Dean and Castiel's house.

“You better not,” Sam smirks at him before climbing out of the Jeep. Gabriel will happily be a smart ass to every person Sam knows if it keeps that content smile on his face.

“Hey I never thanked you for letting me take the Jeep all week,” Sam tells him as they walk across the front lawn together. Gabriel leans into Sam as their arms brush.

Gabriel waves a hand in the air, “Riding into the station with Dean gave us bonding time,” he jokes. “Any update from Mick? Will he be able to fix it?”

Sam slaps his hand over his chest, “No, I’m afraid my dear truck has taken its last spin around the block.”

“Ah, I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s okay, it’s only a truck, it had a good run. Mick says the transmission’s shot. Looks like we’ll need to be doing some shopping on my next day off. What a pain in the ass,” he huffs as he holds open the front door for Gabriel.

Inside the house, the family works like a well oiled machine to get the last minute duties taken care of for their Sunday dinner. Dean has the grill warming up, ready for the burgers and brats while Castiel sets out the salads. Gabriel slices up the pound cake, a standing weekly request made by Dean,and throws the peach and strawberry-rhubarb pies he made into the oven. Even Kaia pitches in by pulling the condiments from the refrigerator and setting them on the food table.

Sam’s just getting the last of the buns onto a plate when the front door opens. “I thought this was supposed to be a party! It’s much too quiet!” Benny’s grin is wide as he rounds the corner carrying a large dutch oven and a wrapped loaf of french bread tucked under his arm.

“You should know the party doesn’t start until the master has arrived. Ah, and there she is,” Castiel adds as Donna appears holding a second covered casserole dish. “Let me take that from you,” Castiel kisses Donna’s cheek as he grabs the ceramic container.

“Thanks, Angel. Looks good,” she comments as she surveys the kitchen-dining area and peeks outside the patio door. There’s one long table covered with a red cloth for the food inside and outside there are two picnic tables. “Thanks for havin us to your Sunday shindig, I know it’s usually a family thing.”

“You _are_ family,” Castiel tells her sternly as he sets the dish on the buffet table and pulls off the foil. “Ah, especially when you bring us cheesy hashbrown casserole!"

“Thank you, Castiel, we feel the same way.”

Both Castiel and Donna turn around when Benny speaks up, “Hey look, it’s the hero of the 21st Precinct!” he cries as he gives Gabriel a slap on the back.

“Me? I think you mean Sam here,” Gabriel tells him with a thumb thrown over his shoulder, “I’m not the one who delivered a baby on the highway yesterday.”

“Neither did I,” Sam adds as he takes the dutch oven from Benny and leans his shoulder in to return his hug, “all I did was catch the little one. Mom did all the work. Aside from that, I’d say Benny needs a feather in his hat cause if he hadn’t calmed Dad down I think Mom would’ve gotten upset.”

“And that’s why the two of ya make the best team but that’s not what Benny Bear is referring to,” Donna adds as she turns her big brown eyes on Gabriel. A warm smile slides across her face, a smile that makes her eyes dance and her dimples pop, a smile that always makes him grateful to be on the receiving end. “Didn’t catch the latest news, didja Gabe?”

“What news?” Dean asks as he walks into the kitchen through the patio door carrying a dirty plate. He nods in greeting to Donna and Benny before setting the plate in the dishwasher then washes his hands. “We made our rounds saying hi to Mom and Dad so we all had our phones off. What’s up?”

“Thanks to Gabriel’s sketch, they caught the assmonkey who’s been targeting homes of the elderly and robbing em blind.”

“That’s incredible, I’m so proud of you, Babe!” Sam cries as he pulls Gabriel into a hug. Dumbfounded, his arms remain at his side as Sam kisses his temple.

“I’m relieved to hear that but the congratulations should go to the officers who made the arrest, not me,” Gabriel tells everyone with a firm shake of his head.

“And clearly to me for recommending Captain Turner hire you to replace that last useless sketch artist we had.”

“Dean-”

“I’m kidding, Cas.” Dean laughs with a hand in the air. The smile falls from his face as he turns back to Gabriel, “In all seriousness, what you’re able to do makes a huge difference. You’re sketches are uncanny. I don’t know if we would’ve caught Ishim as quickly as we did if I didn’t already know what he looked like. And I’m not _just_ referring to the drawings you make either. I’m also talking about the way you are with the witnesses.”

“No, Dean, all I do is talk to them and draw pictures.”

“Not true, Gabe,” Donna argues, “you calm them down, talk to them and you ask questions but more importantly, you _listen_. You pay attention and you’re able to help them remember details without them even realizing it.”

“I’ll let you in on my secret, it’s because I’m so pretty to look at. They stop thinking about what they’re _supposed_ to remember. It makes it easier for their subconscious memory to take over,” Gabriel comments in hopes of changing the subject.

“No wonder Dean never has any luck jogging memories,” Benny drawls. “Ow!” he cries when Donna smacks his arm.

“Watch it, Bear, that’s my partner you’re bad mouthin.”

“You didn’t let me finish, Cher. I was gonna say it’s a good thing he has you for a partner cause you’re purdy enough for the both of ya.” He wraps an arm around his wife and kisses her cheek.

“Smooth talker,” she replies as everyone laughs and the oven timer beeps.

The conversation moves onto another case Donna and Dean have been working as Gabriel returns to the oven to pull out the warm pies. Benny slides up next to him to throw in the french bread he brought to go with his Gumbo.

“Any problems?” Gabriel asks in a hushed tone.

“Not a one. It’s out front whenever you’re ready for it.”

“I think I’ll wait until we’re all ready to go. Thanks, Ben.”

Benny nods his head once before stepping away, “Sounds good. Was no problem at all, anything for Sam, or you, Brother.”

Gabriel opens his mouth to respond to Benny when he hears a familiar call from the front door, “No worries, we have arrived. The festivities may begin.”

Gabriel’s head hangs down on a deep sigh as he tries to push away his irritation. “Why must he insist on being such an ass all the time?” Gabriel mutters to Sam as he steps up beside him.

He shrugs his shoulder, “All part of his charming personality?”

Gabriel snorts as he steps away from the stove, “Hardly. I still don’t understand why you insisted they come.”

Sam stops him as he walks towards the door, “Cause we’re all family here.” He pats his butt then gives him a little push towards the front door. He hugs Luci, Dad and Jody as they walk into the kitchen and thinks Sam’s right, despite his brother’s crudeness, he’s still happy they’re here.

“When did that happen?” Gabriel startles slightly as Dean’s voice rumbles in his ear.

Gabriel turns from the sink after he sets the dish he was washing into the drying rack. He watches as Jody’s hand lingers a little longer on Cain’s arm. “Oh yeah, that,” Gabriel smiles to himself. “That’s something that’s been years in the making.” He dries his hands then flips the towel onto his shoulder as he leans against the counter.

Next he nods his head in thanks at Dean as he passes him a beer. “Luci and I have watched them dance around each other for years but we’ve always stayed out of it, figured they’d open their eyes eventually,” he pauses to twist off the cap of the bottle then takes a long pull. “Hmm, good,” he comments after swallowing. “After the whole Josie debacle, Luci decided to intervene. He talked them both into a blind date- with each other.”

Dean holds his beer up in the air as Cain’s hand slides across the small of Jody’s back and remains in place, “Looks like it may’ve worked.”

And there’s that warm feeling in his chest that’s seemed to find a permanent home since meeting the Winchesters, “Yeah, I think so too.”

It isn’t long before the guests are scattered about the fenced-in backyard. Empty plates, including dessert, discarded, fresh drinks in hand. Jody, Donna and Cain are deep in conversation, Dean is showing Benny, Lucifer and Sam his newly built shed and Gabriel is watching them all while he pushes Kaia on the swing.

“Higher!” she calls out.

“That’s just what I need, Kid. You taking a header off the swing. Have you _seen_ your Dads? I couldn't take either one of them on my best day.”

“I trust you, Gabe,” she tells him with complete sincerity before squealing, “Now higher!”

He wonders if the blind faith this group has in him will ever wane. He prays to anyone who’ll listen the answer is no. “Why don’tcha pump those little legs of yours and finish telling me about your new friend? You kind of left me hanging.” He gives her back another little push then steps aside so he can see her face better.

“Where was I? Oh right, he’s half man half unicorn and yesterday we had a tea party.”

“What kind of tea did you serve?”

“Birthday cake,” she tells him without missing a beat.

“Hmm, I’ve never had that kind before. You know I never liked tea but there was this one time I was really really cold and your Uncle Sam made me some and," he leans closer and finishes in a stage whisper, "I kind of liked it.”

He laughs as her little nose scrunches up as she whizzes past him, “Uncle Sam’s tea smells funny.”

“Yeah, I thought so too.” It’s taken time but the memory of those days on the water no longer make Gabriel want to hide away from the world. It’s not the fact Ishim and Abbadon are both locked away unable to hurt anyone again, although that certainly helps. It may be the predictable fact the entire chain of events is what brought him to Sam but Gabriel doesn’t think so. When he really thinks about it, it comes down to one little fact. Bad shit happens every day but so often something good comes from the bad. One may have to search long and hard and sometimes it may only be a pinprick of a glimmer of good but its there.

“What’s Mr. Manicorn’s name?” Gabriel asks the ray of hope before him.

“Sparkle.”

“Good name, what else do you and Sparkle do together?”

She doesn’t say anything for a few moments and Gabriel wonders if she’s either grown bored with the conversation or he said something wrong. Finally she says, “Hey, Gabe?”

“Yes, Kaia?”

“You know Sparkle isn’t real, right?”

“Hey Kaia?” He asks in avoidance of her question. Who is he to ruin a good game? “You know how I draw those cartoons for my Dad’s newspaper?”

“Yeah but they’re not funny like the _Snoopy_ cartoons Papa reads to me.”

“You’re right, they’re not all that funny,” Political satire isn’t all that funny these days, Gabriel thinks to himself. “I was thinking, what if you and I wrote a few together? We could include Sparkle and Nicki the Mermaid. What do you think?”

He resumes his pushing as she seems to think it over. With a sharp nod of her head she tells him, “As long as you know they aren’t real then let’s do it.”

“If only all negotiation were that easy,” he says aloud to himself as she picks up where she left off with her latest adventure with her imaginary friends. Gabriel keeps up the comments and questions as he watches Sam, Dean, Benny and Lucifer step out of the shed. All four are relaxed and laughing at a story Benny is telling.

As is usually the case when Sam is near, Gabriel's attention is laser focused on him. He finds it ridiculous and yet astonishing how his chest literally constricts and the air leaves his lungs any time he looks at Sam. His life really has turned into a Rom Com and he isn’t the least bit sorry.

This fact became glaringly evident to Gabriel over the first few weeks he and Sam spent apart. It’s true they texted several times a day and Skyped both morning and night but it wasn’t enough. The days weren’t so bad, he’d filled them with work. The number of reader questions answered for his tongue in cheek dating advice column grew every day. Gabriel now has enough banked to stretch it to a weekly column for an entire year.

It was the nights that were a problem. More often than not he'd woken up in a cold sweat, positive he was floating on a ring in a sea of salt water. Convinced a shark was circling the depths below as it scented the blood drying on his scalp. Other nights, behind his closed lids, he’d relive those last moments where he’d given up his last shred of hope and just let go. Regardless of the nightmare, he always woke gasping for air and reaching for a man who wasn’t there.

The uncanny thing was, often out of the blue, he’d receive a text from Sam. Always simple, something along the lines of _miss you, wish you were here_ or  _I love you, always_  but every time it reminded Gabriel he wasn’t alone. He’d then remember the first sight his eyes focused on as he drew in that first breath. Or the care Sam had taken with a man clearly broken with fear but trying in vain to cover it up.

Just as it was back then, Sam saw right through him and he knew he was struggling. The first time they were together again, Gabriel let Sam know how difficult it had been for him. Turns out, it had been just as hard for Sam. What happened next was par for the course of how their relationship had always been. Despite how little time they’d been together, they decided to trust their instincts. Gabriel subleased his apartment, packed up his few items and moved in with Sam Winchester.

Two weeks after settling into a routine of working via computer with the paper, a Captain Rufus Turner had contacted him and offered him a position as the precinct sketch artist. Despite past conversations with his dad regarding the paper, he still felt a pull of guilt over leaving. HIs dad had put that to bed before he’d even finished telling him about the position. He told him he wanted him to be happy, bottom line.

In the end, Gabriel had packed up his office at _Milton Industries,_ leaving his position of Copy Editor to be filled by someone who would appreciate and thrive much more than he ever would’ve. He still writes for his “advice” column, _Questions Not Safe For Work_ , and his comic strip but his real joy is in the job at the precinct. It's given him the purpose he's always searched for.

For the first time in his life, Gabriel feels like he’s found his happy place. Right there in a backyard filled with people he’s grown to love. Some he’s always loved, some he’s only known a short time but all the same would lay down his life for them without a second thought. Top of that list being the stunning man with a heart of gold.

Gabriel’s hand trails down Kaia's back as she pulls away, the swing cresting high on a wave of Sam’s laughter as it floats their way. He bends at the waist and lets out a second string of “heh heh heh” sounds that reverberate straight through Gabriel.

“Can I tell you a secret?” Kaia asks Gabriel in a hushed tone as she lets her feet drop to the ground then drag to slow her pendulum motion.

“Sure, what’s up Buttercup?” Gabriel asks, reluctantly pulling his gaze from Sam to give her his full attention.

He bends at the waist and braces his hands on his knees when she gestures for him to come closer. Kaia ducks around the chains of the swing and cups her hands around her mouth and whispers in Gabriel’s ear, “I think Unicorns are real.”

Gabriel’s gaze flicks up to Sam then back down onto Kaia’s face. Her eyes are wide and her shoulders are tense like she’s waiting for him to laugh at her. He looks at Sam once more before nodding his head, just as Sam looks up and winks at him, “I do too. I absolutely believe unicorns are real and only the very lucky are able to ever see them.”

He hears a little sigh of relief escape her before a deep voice asks, “What are you two whispering about over here?” Castiel asks with a lopsided grin.

“Papa!” Kaia cries as she runs to Castiel, “Guess what Uncle Gabe and I are gonna do?”

Gabriel feels his jaw become unhinged and his knees go weak. He grabs the chain of the swing as it moves past him and looks to Castiel to confirm what he believes he heard.

Castiel’s smile only stretches wider as he crouches to speak to Kaia, “I give up, what are you and Uncle Gabe going to do?”

“She makes a little hop and her hands fly up into the air, “We’re gonna write a cartoon and it’s going to be in his Dad’s newspaper. And guess what?”

Now Gabriel is laughing, her laughter is undeniably contagious.

“What?”

“It’s gonna be _better_ than _Snoopy_!”

“I have no doubt, Sweet Pea,” Castiel tells his daughter around a short laugh. “I can’t wait to hear more about this new project but right now there're a few people who're getting ready to leave and they’d like to say goodbye to you.”

“Okay,” she tells him as she saunters away towards the house.

Castiel stands and approaches Gabriel the same time Sam and Dean approach from the opposite direction.

“Did I just hear my daughter say Uncle Gabe?” Dean asks in a gruff voice.

Gabriel holds his hands up, hoping the tremor he feels under his skin doesn’t follow through to the surface. “That was all her but I can ask her not to if it-”

Dean’s face splits into a grin, “I’m just giving you shit, she’s got the sharpest instincts of anyone I know,” he pauses to look sideways as Castiel, “well, aside from Cas anyway, so it’s fine with me.”

“I don’t know if I'm fine with it,” Sam says sternly as he steps up into Gabriel’s space, his eyes hard as he looks down into Gabriel’s face, making a bubble of panic rise. That bubble bursts when Sam smiles, making Gabriel see how much the brothers do look alike, “I don’t know if I like the idea of no longer being the fun uncle.”

“Face it Sammy,” Dean tells Sam with a punch to his arm before walking towards the house, “you were never the fun uncle to begin with.”

Gabriel and Sam watch as Dean slips an arm up Castiel’s back as he leads them to the house. “I think you’re pretty fun,” Gabriel tells Sam as he runs a hand up his chest. Sam’s lips twitch into a smile before he leans down and presses them to Gabriel’s mouth.

“I think you’re fun too,” he replies as he moves up to his toes to kiss Sam again only to be interrupted by a yell from Dean.

“Save it for later, you two. Folks are leaving.”

They both laugh as Donna’s chipper voice retorts, “Oh wouldja leave them be? We ain’t in any rush. How many of our mornings have been delayed because you were playing suck face with Angel over there?”

Dean’s reply is muffled from across the yard but his defeated tone is as clear as a bell.

After many rounds of hugs and plans made to get together soon, Lucifer, Caine and Jody leave.

As Gabriel and Sam round the corner to the front of the house, Sam lets out a long low whistle. Sitting in the driveway is a shiny, black Chevy Silverado truck. Gabriel feels his body tense as Sam leaves his side to look at the truck. “Benny!” he cries as he peeks through the passenger side window, “I know you were talking about getting a new truck but I didn’t know you’d done it already.” He whistles again as he steps to the side and leans his elbows on the edge of the bed.

Benny flicks his eyes at Gabriel a second before looking at Sam from the opposite side of the bed, “Glad ya like it, Brother, but it ain’t mine. Here catch,” he calls as he tosses a set of keys at Sam, "I was just the delivery boy."

Sam’s reflexes are lightening fast as he snatches the metal ring from the air then looks at them in the palm of his hand. “I don’t understand-” he starts.

Benny nods his head towards Gabriel, “Ask your husband.”

“Huh, he’s not my husband.” Sam’s words are weak and full of confusion as he turns on his heel. “Gabe?”

“Face it, you two are just as married as the four of us are,” Donna states.

Gabriel shrugs his shoulder and says, “Happy Birthday, Sam.”

“But my birthday was last month.”

“I know but you didn’t need a truck then.”

“This is too much!” Sam cries as he walks slowly around to the drivers side, Gabriel close on his heels.

“No, actually it’s not even close to being enough but nothing ever will be.”

“Aw, come on, we know he’s just trying to one up you, Sam. Say thanks and drive home.”

Dean’s joke in regards to the top of the line digital sketchbook Sam had gotten Gabriel on their three month anniversary, seems to break Sam’s daze and he rushes forward and pulls Gabriel into his arms. “Thank you, Babe. This's amazing. I've already started doing research,” he says as he turns back to the truck, “and this is exactly what I was looking at.”

“I took a chance, it’s not exactly ideal for California driving but I just couldn’t watch you fold yourself up into a pretzel anymore. You need a truck that fits you.”

“We still talkin bout the truck here, fellas?” Donna asks as Benny and Dean both groan.

Gabriel will wait until they're alone to explain this isn’t just a gift with a down payment. The truck has been paid in full. When he first moved in with Sam he wouldn’t except any money for for the mortgage and Gabriel’s embarrassed to admit how many commas there are in his bank account balance. He’s never had a use for his money past rent and the occasional trip. Making Sam Winchester smile is money well spent as far as Gabriel's concerned.

“Why don’t you leave your jeep here and come by and get it tomorrow?” Castiel asks as Sam opens the front door and climbs in behind the wheel.

Gabriel smiles at the way Sam’s legs fall naturally under the wheel and not snug against it.

After another round of hugs and goodbyes, the two are on the road. Sam alternates between running his hand over the steering wheel or the dashboard and holding Gabriel's hand as he drives. While stopped at street lights, he plays with the various buttons and dials. All the while the grin hasn’t left his face.

“Home already?” Gabriel asks surprised as they pull into the driveway. “Figured you’d want to drive for awhile.” 

Sam pulls the key from the ignition then leans over the bench, grabs the back of Gabriel’s neck and pulls him into a searing kiss. The taste of Sam on his tongue will always be his favorite thing in the world. _Always_.

“Tomorrow,” he tells him when he pulls back, “right now I want to just be with you, My Gabriel.”

And that right there is another thing Gabriel knows he will never tire of, hearing those words ride Sam’s voice. The feeling of love and protectiveness that comes with the words, My Gabriel. He still remembers the first time he said it, when he introduced him to Donna while they stood in his driveway. 

“What’d you have in mind, Stretch?” Gabriel asks as he gives Sam another peck on the lips.

His eyes light up before he jumps from the truck. He pops his head back in, “Be right back.” Gabriel watches as he walks into the house and returns carrying the comforter from the spare bedroom. Gabriel climbs out of the cab, an unasked question on his lips. Understanding dawns as Sam spreads the blanket over the bed then drops the tailgate.

“I’ve always thought necking in the driveway like a teenager would be fun but you’re the first person I’ve ever wanted to try it with.” Sam’s grin is wide as he climbs into the bed and lays down. He props his left elbow under his head then stretches out his right, beckoning Gabriel forward. "I've also wanted to star gaze with you."

What the hell, he thinks as he climbs in and lays down beside Sam. The ridges of the bed are a little rough on the back but the heat of Sam’s body pressed along his side makes him quickly forget any discomfort.

The sky is fading into a purple haze, it’ll be quite some time before the stars are actually out but Gabriel sure as hell isn’t going to bring up this fact. Especially when Sam curls his arm around his neck and rolls them together until their mouths meet again.

“Hello, boys. Will I be needing to ring up the police on indecent exposure?”

Gabriel rolls over and gazes up at the man with the mischievous eyes and perfectly groomed beard.

“Fergie, Baby, I told you to keep quiet, you just ruined my fun,” a petite brunette purrs as she sidles up next to her husband.

“Hello, Meg, Crowley,” Sam says with a nod to their neighbors. “Check out the wheels my wonderful boyfriend gave me," Sam tells them proudly with a wave of his hand.

At his age, Gabriel had always thought the label of boyfriend would feel juvenile, and yet he finds himself bristling with pride every time Sam uses it.

“Are we giving it a test drive in the driveway?” Crowley asks with an arch of his eyebrow.

“I was trying too but someone interrupted me,” Gabriel tells him on a sigh as Sam pokes him in the ribs with a laugh.

“We’re having a little get together next weekend if you’d like to drop by,” Meg tells them as she tugs on Crowley’s arm. “Come along, Love, I suddenly have the urge to do some test driving of my own.”

“Enjoy your evening, Gents,” Crowley tells them with a backward glance.

“Hope to see more of you boys soon,” Meg calls before closing their front door.

“Where were we?”

Gabriel hums as Sam rolls on top of him and kisses along his neck. “That seems about right,” Gabtiel sighs as his hand makes it’s way to Sam’s hair. “So what do ya think? Should we check out their party?”

He rolls his neck to the left, exposing more skin for Sam to nip along, “I don’t know if I’m ready to share you just yet.” He lifts his head and looks down into Gabriel's face, his sea of blue green eyes bright even in the fading light.

Gabriel feels his stomach fill with butterflies but he pushes on with an idea that’s been gnawing at him, “I was thinking maybe we could take a visit to Brigadoon this weekend.”

Sam’s eyes widen and he slides his hips off of Gabriel, leaving just his leg and arm draped over his body, “No, you don’t want to go out there again, do you?”

Thats the question Gabriel’s been asking himself for seven months. His first response is always no, but then he thinks about Sam pushing past his own fears and going back to riding with Benny in the rig. It was rough for him at first but he did it and Gabriel had never been more proud. “I think I need to,” he replies quietly as he runs his index finger over Sam’s forearm. Aside from overcoming his fear, Gabriel knows how important time spent out on the boat is to Sam and he could _never_ take that away from him.

“If you really think so then we can do that, just remember you can change your mind at anytime.”

Gabriel nods his head, "Yeah I know. Thanks. Love you, Sam."

"Love you too, Babe."

“Now that we have that settled,” Gabriel pulls on Sam’s shoulder until he rolls back into place. Gabriel bucks up against Sam and tells him, “let’s test out the shocks on this bad boy.”

Sam bounces his eyebrows once before melting against the man he loves, "I don't know if they can handle you, My Gabriel."

"Only one way to find out," Gabriel growls as he pulls Sam's face down to him, crashing their lips together. Sam's right, Gabriel thinks as he feels a hand slide under the hem of his shirt, necking in the driveway _is_ fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all who've stuck with me until the end.

**Author's Note:**

> Thoughts? Comments give me fuel to keep going :-)


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